Solace
by bluecrush611
Summary: Lindsey lost her husband during the outbreak and has been drifting through this hellish world ever since. Can she and Rick find some kind of connection in their shared grief? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first FF and I'm very excited/nervous about it! I've always loved writing and after reading countless stories, I've decided I would like to contribute. Just so you are not confused, I'm starting at the end of Season 3. Reviews are greatly appreciated as it will probably take some feedback to keep me going. _Constructive_ criticism is always welcome!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Rick Grimes hated making supply runs. It reminded him of the days when Lori used to forget something while grocery shopping and he would have to go to the store every other day after work to make up for it. Except now he had to fight the living dead just for a box of stale crackers. With the group from Woodbury joining them at the prison, supply runs were becoming more frequent and somewhat of a nuisance. He had to accept though that he had brought them in. He made his bed, now he had to lie in it. If only it were that easy.

Today, he, Daryl and Michonne were raiding a small town south of the prison. They had already scavenged in the other three directions, so this was their last hope before needing to spread out further. The thought always made him uncomfortable as those trips never went well.

Luckily, there weren't many walkers to contend with today. Michonne had decided to search an insurance office, which Rick found pointless until she strode out carrying a ridiculous amount of coffee, dried creamer and sugar packets. She immediately went up a few notches in his book. Coffee was a rare pleasure nowadays. Daryl had taken to a convenience store across the street. The ones that weren't heavily raided by now generally held a broad range of items. That left Rick with the town pharmacy. Medical supplies had always been important but the Woodbury group had consisted of quite a few elderly people that needed special prescriptions. To be honest, he was surprised they had survived this long with what little they had.

As he approached the pharmacy his hand lingered on the butt of his Colt Python. He carefully scanned both sides of the street and then shielded his eyes to peek through the large glass windows. Nothing was moving inside, but that didn't really mean much. Once a walker got stuck in a building it tended to just sit and wait for it's dinner to show up.

He carefully turned the knob and was grateful that the door bell was no longer functioning. Most pharmacies had switched to an electric 'ding' and that turned out to be a good alternative to the bell on a string. Those made him feel like he was literally ringing a dinner bell for the walkers.

The store was generally in tact and no immediate threats presented themselves to him. He started down the first aisle, his boots making soft thuds on the thin Berber carpet. As he rounded the corner to approach the front counter, his gaze fell upon a small trail of blood. It wound it's way down one aisle and then smeared in a trail to disappear behind the counter.

Blood was a normal sight while scavenging but this looked fresh. Rick pulled out his knife and stepped cautiously around to look behind the counter. At that same moment he heard the click of a gun and had a Glock pointed at his face. A woman who looked to be in her late twenties was huddled in the corner, a pool of dried blood beneath her left leg. Somehow he knew it was a gunshot. Cop instincts, or whatever. She looked tired and scared.

"Don't come any closer," she said, harshly.

Her gun shook and it appeared that she was having a hard time holding it up. If he had meant her any harm, he could have easily overpowered her.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'll put my knife away. Okay...?" Rick stated in a low voice, as he tucked his knife into his belt and held up his free hand.

"Are you here to finish the job?" She spat, bitterly. Her gun didn't move.

Rick shook his head. "Me and my people didn't do this to you. I would like to help you, if you'll let me," he said, calmly.

She hesitated, her eyes judging. "You say 'people'? What kind of people?"

"Right now, it's myself, Daryl and Michonne. We live at the prison north of here with a large group of men, women and children. I'll get Michonne for you if it would make you more comfortable."

She let out a shaky breath. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because if I had wanted to hurt you, I would've done so by now."

Rick could almost hear the gears turning in her head. He used that moment to take in her appearance. She was younger than him, but definitely older than Maggie. Her wavy blonde hair was dirty and matted, her eyes brown. It was hard to tell how tall she was from where she sat, but she looked to be at least 5' 5". Her plaid button up shirt and dark jeans were also dirty and hung loosely from her small frame. That was pretty normal for anyone at this point. Food may have been in short supply, but cardio certainly wasn't.

He watched as she slowly lowered her gun and shifted uncomfortably. She proceeded to grab a hold of the counter and stand up. She placed her weight dominantly on her right leg, but he could see that she was weak and wouldn't stay up for long.

Right as her legs buckled, Rick rushed forward to keep her from falling. His hands scooped under her armpits and held her body close to his. She stiffened out of fear but he reassured her again that he only wanted to help. Rick watched as she tried to take a step but collapsed again in his arms.

"What's your name?" He asked, still supporting her.

"Lindsey."

"It's nice to meet you, Lindsey. I'm Rick. Now, how about we get out of here?" He gave her a warm smile.

She nodded and reached for her backpack. He got to it first, his other arm still wrapped around her tiny waist. He threw the pack over his shoulder and then motioned that he was going to pick her up. She nodded reluctantly and wound her arms around his neck. He let out a small grunt as he picked her up and balanced her weight between his arms.

As he carried her out of the pharmacy, he couldn't help but think how the group would react to him bringing back another mouth to feed.


	2. Chapter 2

_"I have a surprise for you," she announced, her hands behind her back._

_"Aw, honey! I thought we agreed that we wouldn't do gifts this year."_

_Lindsey Scott looked at her husband and gave him an infectious grin. "I know! I know...but I couldn't resist. Ready?"_

_Jared nodded and watched as she presented him with a jersey. An Atlanta Braves jersey to be exact. He looked up at his wife and grinned._

_"I thought you would like to wear it to the game this weekend. Do you like it?" Lindsey asked, already knowing the answer._

_"Of course! I've always wanted one," he replied, sounding somewhat in awe._

_"And there's something else...look," she whispered, and turned the jersey over._

_On the back in big print was the name SCOTT and the number 10._

_"Oh, babe! You got it custom made with my last name and favorite number? This is amazing! Thank you!"_

_Lindsey was instantly wrapped in his arms and lifted off the ground._

"Lindsey? Hey, wake up," a voice murmured next to her ear.

"Jared?"

"Uh, it's Rick. Can you open your eyes?"

Lindsey felt her head bob and then groggily opened her eyes to see a large brick building looming overhead. They passed through a metal door and it was suddenly dark. Then there were faces. She had a hard time focusing on them, especially since she didn't recognize any of them. Everyone had the same look though: curiosity. Well, all but one. She spotted a young boy, though it was hard to say how old he was; This world aged people beyond their years. He looked at her, then above her and proceeded to walk away while shaking his head. She tried to process his reaction but was suddenly brought into what appeared to be a cell and laid on a small cot. It was then that she looked up at the man who had been carrying her.

"Hershel is going to have a look at you. He has some experience with gunshot wounds. You're in good hands, trust me."

It took Lindsey a moment to see the older man beside Rick. She was too busy staring into his painfully beautiful, blue eyes.

Eventually she nodded and turned her gaze to Hershel. He was an elderly man, with a white beard and his hair pulled into a small ponytail.

"Hi, Lindsey. Can you tell me what happened to you?" Hershel asked, while examining her leg.

"I was traveling with two other people. Our car had run out of gas, again, so we started walking to the closest town. We were almost there, when I heard an engine approaching and then rapid gun fire. Frank was shot in the head. Stacy in the back. At the last second I dove into the high grass but not before getting one in the leg. I must have passed out for a couple minutes. When I awoke, Stacy was grabbing at my feet, except it wasn't Stacy anymore. I put her down."

Lindsey flinched when Hershel touched a spot near her wound. She could feel Rick's steady gaze on the side of her face. She flicked him a nervous glance and returned to look at Hershel as he asked: "did you notice anything about the vehicle or what they looked like?"

"It happened so fast. All I saw was a white truck with large tires and a set of floodlights on the top."

Hershel and Rick exchanged a look that she couldn't figure out.

"How did you end up in that pharmacy?" Rick questioned.

"I limped, fell, dragged myself. Anything to get away from the road. I had thought that he would come back to finish me off. That's when you showed up. Thankfully, you had good intentions."

Rick's lips quirked into a small smile but she could see that he was distracted by his own thoughts.

"Well, it looks like you got here before an infection could start. The bullet also went straight through and missed your major arteries. You're one lucky lady. I'll go get Carol to help me stitch you up," Hershel stated, using his crutches to stand up.

That's when Lindsey noticed that he was missing part of his right leg. _I wonder how that happened_, she thought to herself.

At that same moment, Rick abruptly stood up and walked out of the cell.

* * *

Rick followed Hershel out into the common room. They stood off to the side so no one would over hear their conversation.

"Do you think it was him?" Rick asked, grudgingly.

"The Governor? Her description of the truck was a match. After what he did to his own people, I wouldn't put it past him to shoot some random scavengers."

"But you know what this means, don't you? We _just_ missed him. He's still hanging around here. Hell, he probably thought they were from our group and killed them out of spite."

Rick closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He then dropped his hand to rest on his belt and threw a glance towards the cell she was occupying.

* * *

Lindsey laid there and looked up at the bunk above her head. The pain in her leg was coming in waves now. She hoped that Hershel had something to give her to help numb it a little. She tried to think of something to distract herself, and was embarrassed when Rick's face popped into her mind's eye. _He really is handsome._ She hadn't noticed it at first, but she had been a little busy trying to protect herself.

A woman walked into the cell carrying a small bag and gave Lindsey a warm smile.

"Hi, there. I'm Carol," she stated, reaching out to softly shake her hand.

"Lindsey," she replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lindsey. If it's alright with you, I'm going to remove part of your pant leg and then see if I can get you cleaned up a little bit. Hershel will come in after and put in the stitches. Can I get you anything?"

"It's hurting pretty bad right now. Do you have any pain meds?" Lindsey asked, somewhat desperately.

"Of course. Let me see what I can find," she replied, digging around in her bag.

Carol pulled out a small prescription bottle and shook out two pills. She turned to grab a bottle of water and handed both to Lindsey.

"Thank you so much," she whispered, and swallowed the pills.

Her whole body suddenly felt tingly and took on a floating sensation. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

When Lindsey regained consciousness, she turned her head to see a young girl setting beside her. It took her a moment to realize that the girl was holding a small bundle.

"Oh, you're awake! I'll get Daddy and Carol. Hold on."

The girl hurried out of the room before Lindsey could get a chance to ask her about the bundle. Carol walked in a moment later.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Pretty good, actually." She paused. "The girl that was just in here, Hershel's daughter...was she holding a baby?"

Carol smiled. "Yes, that's Judith. She is Rick's daughter."

For some reason, Lindsey felt her stomach drop a little at that statement. She wondered where the mother was, but she didn't want to pry into other people's business.

Carol could sense her hesitation and answered her anyway.

"Lori, Rick's wife, died during the birth."

"That's horrible. I'm sorry," Lindsey whispered.

Carol shrugged. "We deal with the hand we are dealt."

_That statement couldn't be more true_, Lindsey thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three Weeks Later**

Rick saw Lindsey approaching the guard tower. He was sitting on the rough ledge, his back against the wall. He watched her until she was out of view and took a sip from his half empty water bottle. Today had been another scorcher. The liquid was warm and did little to quench his thirst. He could hear her soft footsteps ascending the stairs. The guard tower door creaked open and she poked her head out.

"Hey. I brought you a little something. You mind?" She gestured to a pair of energy bars in her hand and then pointed at the ground next to him.

"Not at all. I was getting a little lonely anyway," he murmured as she passed him one of the bars and sat down.

He wasn't sure why he was being so honest with her. He barely knew her. But something about Lindsey made him feel at ease, like he didn't have to put up a strong front as he did around everyone else.

"Lonely, huh? That's the understatement of the year, don't ya think?" She smiled sadly at him. He watched as she tore open the package to her energy bar and decided he should do the same instead of staring at her. Lindsey took a small bite and let out a groan of dissatisfaction. "What I would give for a bowl of Cheerios with whole milk and fresh banana slices…"

Rick chuckled quietly and took a bite of his own. "Not a cheeseburger?"

She shook her head and continued to chew. "I've seen enough raw meat to last me ten lifetimes, if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I would choose Daryl's venison over a can of beans any day, but I loved cereal with fresh fruit. Jared and I used to go through two gallons of milk a week, just for cereal."

Lindsey laughed softly, but Rick could see her expression fall. He knew what was going through her head. It was the same thing that went through his head every damn day - happy memories of times long gone.

Rick cleared his throat and picked a small piece of dead grass off his pants. "Jared…was he your husband?" He dared a glance in her direction.

Lindsey was staring sadly at the ground, her energy bar forgotten. She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. Quickly, she turned her head away from him and wiped at her eyes with her shirt sleeve.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…" Rick began.

"No. No, it's ok. It's my fault. I brought him up," Lindsey interrupted, her voice a little raspier than before. She quickly cleared her throat and blinked back any remaining tears. "Yes, he was my husband. How did you guess that I was married?"

Rick pointed at her hand. "I saw your ring."

Lindsey nodded. "Ah, yes. And I saw that you are wearing one as well. Don't worry, you don't need to say anything. I got curious about Judith and Carol told me what happened. I'm so sorry, Rick," she whispered.

He was grateful that he didn't have to say anything about Lori. It bothered him though that he didn't know anything about Lindsey and what she had been through. He didn't want to push her into talking about something that would make her upset, but the curiosity was egging him on.

"I feel like you know so much about me, but I know nothing about you." He waited for her response.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" Lindsey replied, jokingly.

"It's not like we have anywhere we need to be right now…" Rick gestured at their surroundings, the world in general.

Lindsey sighed and pulled her knees closer to her chest. He could tell it was a coping mechanism to help her get through what she was about to tell him. "Well, I guess I'll start with the beginning of this mess. Jared and I had gone to Atlanta for our anniversary. We lived in Kingsland, but thought it would be good to get out and see a baseball game in the big city." Lindsey threw Rick a knowing look. He had been in the city after the outbreak and it was a nightmare. He couldn't imagine being there _during_ the outbreak. "Things went south pretty fast. We were downstairs having breakfast in our hotel when the news started to break. We packed up and headed out of the city. The media was telling everyone to stay and hunker down at the FEMA stations, but we knew better. Apparently a lot of other people felt the same way and we got stuck in a massive traffic jam. At this point, everyone was getting out of their cars to see what was going on. We met another couple from Savannah while we waited." Lindsey paused. "Suddenly, everyone was running and screaming. I saw Jared standing on the other side of the car and then in a second…"

Rick watched as Lindsey started to shake, her tears rising up again. Without a thought, he reached over and wiped the first tear off her cheek. "You don't have to tell me this, Lindsey…"

"No, I have to! If I don't get it out, it's going to eat me alive…and that's exactly what happened to my husband. A man ripped right into him…there was nothing I could do. Everyone was pushing me away from him. The couple we met, they grabbed me and pulled me out of there. They saved my life, but it was too late for my husband. That was the last time I saw him," she whispered.

Rick felt stunned. He couldn't believe she had just poured herself out to him. The grief on her face was agonizing and he slowly felt his heart break for her. He had lost Lori, but he didn't see it happen. He had been grateful for that.

He scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to his chest. She wearily rested her head on his shoulder and let the tears fall silently onto his shirt.

After a couple minutes, Lindsey sat up, wiping the remaining tears from her face. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and smoothed back the rest. Rick watched her closely, trying to gauge her emotions. Her brown eyes met his and softened slightly as she gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry. He always told me that I say too much when I'm upset. You're a good man, Rick. Most guys would have run for the hills when they heard the first sniffle."

Rick gave her a warm smile. "I was married once, remember? We get used to the crying."

Lindsey snorted and playfully slapped his shoulder. Rick laughed softly and flinched away from her.

After a moment, Lindsey spoke again. "So basically, after that I stayed with a small group of people. We started with three. The most we had at one time was nine. Some people would break off from the group once they got close to their hometown or final destination. I wasn't traveling anywhere specific. Just surviving."

"What about your family? Did you try to get back to them?" Rick questioned.

"Both my parents died before all this, thank God. No siblings. My uncle lives in Washington state, and my aunt lives in Vermont. There's no way I could make it that far. I haven't seen them in years anyway."

Rick nodded. At that moment, Carl and Daryl came into the view in the courtyard. It looked like they were walking the fence to check for breaks. Daryl held a hand up to wave and Rick nodded back.

"I don't know how you do it, Rick. I can't imagine having a child to care for, let alone two," Lindsey stated, watching Carl follow Daryl.

"It's not easy, that's for sure. He means well, but he's made some questionable choices lately. As we all have." Rick glanced at her and hesitated before letting his curiosity get the best of him. "So you didn't have any children?"

Lindsey swallowed hard and continued to watch Carl as she spoke. "Almost. I miscarried six months before our trip to Atlanta."

Rick closed his eyes and immediately hated himself for asking her that question.

"I thought it was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Our anniversary trip had actually coincided with the original due date, so if things had gone as planned, myself, my husband, and our newborn baby would all be dead right now. I don't know...deep down I almost feel like that would have been better. At least we would all be together."

Rick slowly opened his eyes and looked at her sadly. He could see that she was deep in thought. Suddenly, the guard tower door opened, making them both jump. Maggie and Glenn were there to take over his watch and he didn't even hear them coming up the stairs. Showed how well he was doing at it.

Rick stood up and offered a hand to Lindsey. She took it and he easily helped her up. His fingers lingered with hers just a moment longer than he meant to and then let go. They said good night to Maggie and Glenn and started down the stairs. Rick let Lindsey go first as he wanted to act like a gentleman, but he didn't feel so gentlemanly as his gaze automatically lingered on her back side as they went down. He kept his flash light on the steps and willed himself not to look up from there.

Once they made it to the cell block, Lindsey turned to him. "Thanks, Rick. It felt nice to have someone to talk to."

"Same here. Glad I could help….good night, Lindsey."

"Good night," she whispered. Before Rick could turn away, she rested her hands on his chest, gently kissed his cheek and walked away to her bunk.


	4. Chapter 4

The group had been talking about throwing a proper wedding for Maggie and Glenn, and now that the Governor was out of the picture (or so they thought), this seemed like the best time to do it.

Lindsey was helping load the trunk of the green Hyundai with a few supplies, while Glenn did the same with their Dodge truck. They figured that a run to the nearest strip mall, which was two towns over, would reward them with the right stuff for a wedding celebration.

Hershel was standing off to the side with Maggie and Beth. Lindsey couldn't help but overhear his concerned tone.

"I don't know how I feel about having both of you out there, especially just to get some dresses. Maggie, why do you need Beth there?"

"Dad! I need help picking them out, that's why. Please don't make this a big thing," Maggie begged.

"I'll go in Beth's place. If that's alright - I don't want to impose," Lindsey said, stepping toward them.

Maggie looked slightly surprised and then shrugged. "I guess that would work. Besides, you've done this before. I could use the help."

Lindsey looked to Beth, who was clearly disappointed. "I promise I'll pick out a really cute dress for you."

Beth smiled. "Thank you."

Lindsey nodded and watched as Rick approached her.

"Are you sure you're up for the trip?" He asked.

"My leg gets sore if I'm on it for more than a few hours, but I should be okay on this run. I'd like to help anyway I can," she stated, somewhat afraid that he wouldn't let her go.

He looked like he was thinking about it and then nodded reluctantly. He turned to get into the driver's side of the Hyundai. She was about to say something to him when Daryl interrupted.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road. It's bad enough I gotta go with ya'll an' make sure ya don't get yerselves killed playin' dress up!"

Lindsey chuckled softly and went to open the door to the backseat.

"What the hell do ya think yer doin'?" Daryl asked, standing in front of her door. "Get yer ass in the front."

Lindsey bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh. She moved around him and opened the front passenger door. "Thanks Daryl. Always a gentleman..." she said somewhat sarcastically.

Rick looked at her and then to Daryl to make sure they were ready. She watched as Glenn and Maggie jumped into the truck in front of them and pulled toward the gate. As soon as it opened, they were off.

When they reached the strip mall, they were happy to find that only a few walkers were hanging around. Daryl quickly put down the closest ones using his crossbow. Lindsey made sure her knife was secure on her belt and that her Glock was tucked into the back of her pants. She never really intended on using it because it was so damn loud, but it definitely came in handy sometimes.

"I'mma check out the hardware store at the end. See if there's anything useful," Daryl announced.

Rick nodded as he joined Lindsey next to Maggie and Glenn.

"I've got a list of sizes and things to look for. What are you guys going to do?" Maggie asked.

"Rick and I will see if there is any decent food left in that bar and grill. Not to mention some booze," Glenn replied.

Lindsey smiled. "What's a wedding without an open bar?"

Everyone had a little chuckle at that.

Maggie and Lindsey cautiously opened the door to the bridal shop and stepped inside. With their flashlights up and knives ready, they were happy to find that the large display windows in the front provided quite a bit of light.

The sound of moaning pierced the silence and each woman was presented with a walker. Clearly these two had been trapped in here since the beginning. They were practically mummified.

Lindsey pushed her walker over and then while pinning it, brought the knife down into it's skull. The whole front of it's head collapsed and spilled out a dozen or more squirming bugs. Lindsey stumbled onto the floor and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. The smell was outrageous. Maggie quickly came to her rescue and helped her up.

"I was trying to make sure I wouldn't get blood on the dresses, but I think it's too late for that," Maggie whispered.

Lindsey looked at the line of dresses in the front of the store. Almost every single one was smeared with black goo. Some serious shit had gone down here.

"Let's check in the back. These look like prom dresses anyway. Just watch yourself," Lindsey answered.

She led the way, flashlight moving side to side. One part of the room held a large quantity of suits and the other side was bursting with wedding dresses.

"Jackpot," Lindsey whispered, smiling.

After doing a quick sweep for walkers, Maggie passed Lindsey the piece of paper listing everyone's size.

"I'll look for a dress, if you will look for the suits. Glenn would like plain black, nothing flashy. Rick's going to be his best man, so something nice for him as well. I trust your judgment," Maggie stated, smiling.

"What about your dad?"

"He said, 'I don't need you risking your neck for something so frivolous. My suit coat will do just fine.'"

She grinned. _That sounded like Hershel._

Lindsey began looking through the tuxes and suits. She found one just like Maggie had described and luckily they had Glenn's size. Down the rack, a dark gray suit caught her eye. She equipped it with a silver tie and knew it would looking dashing on Rick.

She had promised Beth that she would get her a cute dress, so that was her next mission. She scanned a rack of bridesmaid dresses and came up with one that was short, wispy and light yellow. _Perfect_.

Lindsey started looking for Maggie and found her coming out of the back room, dress in hand.

"I realized that none of the dresses would fit because they only come in one size so they can be fitted. Luckily, I thought to look in the alteration room and found this."

Maggie held up her dress and Lindsey gasped.

"Oh, Maggie. It's beautiful. That's definitely the one," she said in awe. She told Maggie about the suits and showed her the dress for Beth.

"What about you? Did you find something?" Maggie asked.

"No, I'm okay. Everyone else is going to be dressed in normal clothes. I might have something in my backpack..."

Maggie interrupted her. "You've been so kind to come here and help me do this. If you won't pick something out, can I at least give you a sundress that I found awhile back? I haven't found an opportunity to wear it yet, so I think it was meant for you."

Lindsey smiled, shyly. "Of course. I would be honored to wear it at your wedding."

"Good. Now what else do we need?" Maggie scanned her list. "We have that, that, and...oh."

"What is it?" Lindsey asked.

"We need wedding bands. Glenn got my engagement ring off a walker at the prison. Maybe we could find them on one of the walkers out front?" Maggie proposed as she made her way to the front room.

Lindsey felt her heart rate speed up. She hung back from Maggie and stared down at her left hand. Her wedding band was starting to look a little dull after everything it had been through in the past year, but it was still nice. A memory flashed into her mind.

_Jared gazing into her eyes as he said his vows. The ring being slipped onto her finger. A feeling of joy and eternal happiness filling her whole body._

She snapped out of it to realize that her hands were shaking. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly felt a feeling of peace wash over her. _It's time._

Lindsey approached the front room, her hand grasping the ring tightly. Maggie was looking over the walkers they had put down and came up empty.

"Maggie. I want you to have this," she murmured as she took Maggie's hand and placed the ring in her palm.

"Where did you find this?"

"It was mine."

Maggie shook her head. "No way. You need to keep this." She tried to give it back, but Lindsey wouldn't take it.

"It served it's purpose for me. My husband is gone. I won't ever forget him and I still love him, but I have no use for this ring now. You do. Please?" Lindsey stated calmly.

Maggie reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I will be honored to wear it," she whispered, repeating Lindsey's earlier response.


	5. Chapter 5

Rick and Glenn met the girls as they were coming out of the bridal shop.

"Would you like any help?" Rick asked.

"Not me. And Glenn, you stay away! It's bad luck if you see my dress!" Maggie declared smiling as she made her way to the truck.

Lindsey laughed and shook her head. "It's only a couple things, but thank you. How did you guys do?"

"Quite well, actually. We found some pasta and large cans of sauce. Not to mention cases and cases of alcohol," he chuckled.

At that moment, they were approached by Daryl who had just left the hardware store.

"What'd you find?" Glenn asked.

"Not much. Place has been turned upside down. I did manage to find a CD player that runs off batteries. Figured you might like some music for your shindig," Daryl said.

Maggie gestured to the CDs in his hand. "Anything good?"

"Maybe not for you. Keep in mind that it was a _hardware_ store," he said jokingly as he passed them over to her.

"Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bad Company, ZZ Top and Led Zeppelin...you weren't kidding."

Lindsey interrupted. "Hey guys, I hate to break this up, but I think we have company."

Everyone looked up see walkers stumbling toward them from all directions. There weren't enough to overrun them, but at this point it would be a waste of ammo.

"All right, let's head out," Rick said.

The group quickly finished packing everything into the car and truck and got into their respective vehicles.

Rick couldn't help but admire the scenery as they made their way back to the prison. The sun was high in the afternoon sky. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the green trees. Small specks of dandelion seeds floated through the air to create a whimsical effect. A sarcastic smile played at his lips. _This world is anything but whimsical._

Glancing at Lindsey, he could see that she was also hypnotized by the view. She was completely still except for her hands. Her right thumb rubbed against her left ring finger, and he was surprised to find that her wedding band was no longer on her finger. Instead, all that remained was a white tan line.

"Lindsey?" He murmured.

It took her a moment to snap out of her daydreaming. "Yeah?"

"What happened to your wedding ring?"

She shrugged. "I gave it to Maggie. She needed it more than I did."

Rick stared disbelieving into her warm brown eyes and then glanced back at the road. Lindsey had only been with their group for about a month. In his mind, a gesture of that magnitude showed that her loyalty truly lied with them. You don't just give your wedding ring to some random person. You pass along to your children or grandchildren. Though she didn't have any of her own, he figured the sentimental reasons alone would be enough to hold onto it. He couldn't help but feel like she had a made a large leap toward becoming a part of their "family".

Daryl had obviously heard their exchange and scooted forward to tap Lindsey on the shoulder. She turned to face him.

"That was really nice of you. I'm sure it means a lot to Maggie," he stated soberly.

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

Daryl's eyes met Rick's in the rearview mirror. Rick subtlety nodded his thanks. He realized that there had been an awkward silence and he probably should have said something but he was too wrapped up in his thoughts.

When they arrived back at prison, Lindsey and Maggie went inside to find Beth so they could get ready. Rick and Daryl stayed behind to help Glenn unload the truck. They delivered all their findings to Carol, who was excited at the prospect of making a yummy meal for everyone. After inventorying everything they brought in and what they had at the prison, she decided on spaghetti with pesto sauce. They didn't have the capability of baking a wedding cake, but she had remembered a simple cookie recipe from her days as a bake sale mom. They looked like little birds' nests and were made out of butterscotch chips and Chow Mein noodles. She also wanted to decorate the tables in some way. There were plenty of white linens from the laundry room so they put one on each table as a tablecloth and then placed three candles in the center. They usually ate by candlelight because that was all they had but tonight they were going for ambiance. Once they were done, Rick and Glenn met up with Hershel to get ready.

The ceremony was held in the prison courtyard. The bleachers had been pushed so that an aisle ran between them. Beth stood at the front with Glenn and Rick to her left side. Rick was quite fond of the suit that the girls had picked out for him. It was a little loose in some places but it was a nice change from his button up shirts and black pants. He scanned the faces coming in to sit down on the bleachers. Most of them were from the Woodbury group. They didn't know Maggie and Glenn very well but after leaving the festivities of Woodbury, they certainly couldn't turn down a celebration.

Suddenly, he saw Lindsey's face and was embarrassed by the warm feeling that spread through his stomach. She was wearing a floral sundress that was fitted around her tiny waist and then flowed out into a tiny skirt. Her legs were tan and slender. Her dark blonde hair was clean and flowed like strands of silk around her shoulders. He swallowed hard and tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat. She smiled as she found Carol and sat down next to her. Rick tried to avert his gaze so no one would see him staring at her but he couldn't help it. She was so damn beautiful and it scared him. He wasn't ready to feel this way about another woman.

Before he could continue his confusing thoughts, Beth motioned for everyone to stand. Hershel and Maggie appeared at the opening of the bleachers. They walked between them and stood before Glenn. He looked lovingly at Maggie and took her hand. Hershel then moved to the front to officiate. Vows were exchanged, bible verses were read and when it came time to swap rings, Rick couldn't help but notice the look that Maggie gave Lindsey after Glenn slipped the ring on her finger. He had felt kind of selfish for not offering his ring to Glenn but he felt relieved when he saw that Hershel had given his instead. Besides, his marriage to Lori hadn't been all rainbows and gumdrops. He wasn't even sure if Glenn would have wanted it anyway.

The ceremony ended with Beth singing a short hymn and then everyone cheered as Maggie and Glenn walked back down the aisle as husband and wife. Immediately after, everyone met inside the prison for dinner. They ate and drank and did their best to be merry. It was practically impossible to forget that right outside the gates were flesh eating monsters, but they tried.

Once the wine was flowing, they started up the CD player and played some light music. Glenn and Maggie had their first dance. Everyone made catcalls and laughed when "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Bad Company started to play. Their song choices had been limited with the CDs that Daryl had found, but luckily it was still a good song.

The dancing and drinking continued into the evening. Rick picked up a bottle of wine and made his way outside to cool down. He snickered when he thought of the last time he drank. _The CDC._ They had all celebrated finally finding a safe place to relax. _That was a load of shit._

Rick could see Tyreese and Sasha on watch by the gate. After exchanging a 'hello' with them, he walked away to find a quiet place to sit with his bottle. A flicker of white caught his eye on the walkway above him.

_Oh, God. Please don't be Lori again._

He rubbed his eyes and squinted through the darkness. The figure stood up and grasped the fence. Her skirt fluttered in the light breeze.

"Rick? Is that you?" The soft voice asked.

"L-Lindsey?"

"Yes, it's just me. Are you ok?" She questioned as he walked up to stand beside her.

He nodded slowly. "For a second I thought you were one of the dead ones," he whispered, not exactly lying.

She smirked. "That would have been unfortunate for one of us."

Lindsey turned away and sat back down on the walkway. She crossed her legs out in front of her as she took a large swig from her wine bottle. She patted the ground next to her without looking up at him. He felt a twinge of déjà vu and chuckled.

"The last time we sat like this, I made you cry," he joked as he sat down against the cold fence.

"Well then you will have to watch yourself this time. No one likes a buzz kill," she giggled.

Rick's gaze met hers and he smiled. "I'll remember that."

They sat in silence for a minute or two. Rick could feel the wine taking effect. He loosened his tie and slipped it off. After undoing the first two buttons on his shirt, he took another sip of his wine. Feeling a prickle on the back of his neck he turned to see Lindsey watching him. He figured that she must have been buzzing too because she didn't immediately look away. Finally she did and shivered. He felt bad that it had taken him so long to realize that she must be cold. It wasn't really noticeable in his suit but surely her dress wasn't enough to keep her warm. He set down the wine bottle and tugged off his suit coat. Without asking her, he slipped it around her shoulders. His left hand slid across her back and lingered for a moment before he let it drop to his side.

"Thank you," she said quietly, flicking her gaze toward him.

His breath caught in his throat. Under the moonlight, her skin looked milky white and smooth. Her eyes were darker than usual, almost black. He felt hypnotized by her beauty and struggled to keep himself focused. Lori had only been gone for a few months. It was absurd for him to feel this way so soon. He took another gulp of his wine and stared across the prison yard.

From where they were sitting, they could just make out the songs that were being played inside. The music sounded quite eerie, partly because it had been so long since they had heard any.

Suddenly, Lindsey let out a small gasp.

"Oh, I love this song," she whispered, closing her eyes and smiling.

Rick listened and could just make out the chords to "Ready for Love" - another Bad Company song. He found it kind of ironic that this song was playing and here he was fighting his romantic urges.

Lindsey hummed along quietly, her voice smooth and surprisingly lovely. Who was he kidding? Lindsey _was_ lovely, in every way. It was then that he got the courage to do something that he hoped he wouldn't regret.

Rick stood abruptly and offered her his hand.

"Would you care to dance?" He asked, trying not to show his nervousness.

It had been so long since he had tried to "woo" a woman, it made everything feel like the first time again.

Lindsey smiled shyly and slipped her hand into his. He lifted her easily, their hands staying linked as he slid his other hand around her waist under the suit coat. He didn't want it to feel like a middle school dance so he pulled her close until her body was flush with his.

As she continued to hum along, Rick tried to remember the lyrics he had heard a lifetime ago.

_Now I'm on my feet again,_

_Better thing are bound to happen._

_All my dues, surely must be paid._

It was with that line that he decided to take things to the next level.

Rick tightened his grip on her waist slightly, causing Lindsey to look up at him. He watched as she glanced at his lips and then he closed the space between them. Just as their lips were about to touch, her eyes widened and she stared down at their feet. This caused Rick's lips to brush against her forehead.

The electricity between them continued to crackle as they were both silent for a minute. Their bodies swayed softly with the music and Rick almost thought that he could feel her thundering heartbeat against his own. He realized that he was waiting for her to make a move and then a thought crossed his mind.

Rick Grimes had survived a gunshot wound, woke up from a coma to find the apocalypse and was still alive a year later...and he couldn't get the courage to kiss a beautiful woman?

_Fuck it._

He gently lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger, and kissed her.

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	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get something out to you all.**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

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Lindsey was surprised for a moment, but it quickly wore off as she returned Rick's kiss. It started out soft and achingly sweet. She lightly grasped the front of his crisp shirt as he threaded his hand through her silky hair. His other hand still tightly gripped her waist under the suit coat. Lindsey opened her mouth and Rick gently slipped his tongue over her bottom lip. He took full possession of her mouth as things became more heated. His hand moved down from her waist to grip her firm backside. Rick impulsively ground his hips against hers and she could clearly feel his arousal. She moaned into his mouth, her insides turning to jelly. His fingers had been lingering at the hem of her dress and that sound was all it took to push him over the edge. His hand slid up the back of her thigh, under the dress and just as he was about to touch her where she most wanted him to - the music stopped.

They heard a chorus of disappointed groans, which included the exclamation, "fucking batteries!" _Daryl_. Clearly the batteries had run out on the CD player, which meant that the party was over.

Lindsey stepped back from Rick, her trembling fingers touching her stubble-burned lips. He was breathing heavily, his hands once again resting on her waist. She watched as it slowly dawned on him what he had just done. It didn't matter that she had wanted it too, she saw the expression all over his face. _Guilt_.

Rick dropped his hands from her waist and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. It's been awhile for me, I guess I'm feeling a little-"

"Hungry?" She whispered breathlessly. His blue eyes flicked up to meet hers and she could still see desire simmering beneath the surface. "I know, because I'm right there with ya."

Rick swallowed hard, his gaze dropping as he clearly tried to regain his composure. He looked at her again and this time, all the lust was gone. "Still. It shouldn't have happened." They heard one of the prison doors open and the sound of approaching footsteps. Rick stood with his hands on his hips and tossed Lindsey a sideways glance. "You should get back inside."

Lindsey looked at him sadly. He had once again built that wall around himself and there was no way she would get through. She pulled his coat tighter around her shoulders to fend off the cold - from him or the wind, she couldn't say. As she walked down the stairs, she passed Daryl.

"I was just comin' to find Rick. Damn CD player ran outta batteries. Figure it's time ta lock up for the night," he said as he adjusted the strap of his crossbow.

Lindsey nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I'll see you in the morning."

She quietly walked into the cell block to find that they were still cleaning up. She was anxious to help as it would be a good way to keep her mind off Rick. Noticing that both Glenn and Maggie were helping clean up the tables, she strode toward them.

"What do you think you guys are doing? Shouldn't you be locked up in a cell somewhere?" She asked mischievously.

Maggie grinned. "I know, I know! We just wanted to help. You all were amazing today. I can't thank you anymore for making it so special."

Carol put an arm around Maggie's shoulder to give her a small squeeze. "Anything for you two. Honestly, you deserve better but hey, we did what we could and I think everyone had a great time." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Now get outta here. We've got this."

"And try not to keep us up all night!" Lindsey added, winking.

Glenn's cheeks turned slightly red and Maggie just rolled her eyes playfully. Holding hands, they walked upstairs and into their cell.

A few people stayed behind to finish cleaning up the tables and as Lindsey was washing the last dish, she heard the cell block door open. Hoping that it was Rick, she was disappointed to see Tyreese and Sasha coming in from their watch.

"You in for the night?" Carol asked as she wiped down a clean plate.

"Yeah, Rick insisted that he was ready to take over. I think Daryl offered to stay as well. Works for me! I'm ready to hit the hay. See ya'll tomorrow!" Tyreese replied.

"Good night!" Carol took the last clean dish from Lindsey and dried it thoroughly. She then dried her hands and stared thoughtfully at Lindsey. "Are you alright, honey?"

Lindsey had been wondering at that moment where Rick was and what he was thinking about. Surprised, she looked up at Carol. "I'm fine," she murmured.

Carol smirked. "You, my dear, are not fine. You don't have to tell me what's bothering you if you don't want to, but please, don't lie about that sort of thing," she scolded gently.

"You're right. I'm sorry..." Lindsey paused. She was about to say that all the wedding festivities had made her nostalgic, but then she realized that it would have been another lie. Well, a partial lie. She had teared up a bit during Maggie and Glenn's first dance, but those things were not her biggest concern at the moment.

"Is it Rick?" Carol whispered.

Lindsey stared at her. "My God, woman. Are you a mind reader?" She breathed with a nervous laugh.

"It's not that difficult. I've seen the way you look at him, and to be honest, the way he looks at you. When you walked into the ceremony this afternoon he couldn't tear his eyes off of you," Carol replied with a wicked grin.

"I doubt that..." Lindsey mumbled.

"I know what I saw. Now the question is - what happened between you two to make you so sulky after such a wonderful evening?" Carol sat down next to her and waited patiently.

"Please don't get me wrong, I did have a wonderful evening. Actually, this was the best day I've had since..." Lindsey paused. "Well, since before the world went to shit. I just...I don't even know what happened. One second we were innocently dancing and then..." She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "He just laid one on me and...it's been so damn long since I've felt anything like that and I've been so fucking lonely," Lindsey whispered, her voice cracking as tears clouded her vision. The floor wavered in front of her and then straightened out as the first drops hit the cold concrete. "What did I do wrong, Carol? Please tell me, because I don't remember how to do this."

"Oh, honey, you are asking the wrong woman. You were fortunate not to meet my poor excuse for a husband. But I have been around Rick for the past year and I can tell you that you shouldn't take it personally. He lost his wife only a few months ago. I don't know if he's even ready to start over, but I can tell that when the time comes, you'll have his complete attention."

"Let's hope I live long enough to see that," she joked morbidly.

"Oh, don't talk like that. He'll get it together eventually. Just be patient," Carol replied.

Lindsey nodded slowly and let out a big sigh. "Thank you for being so awesome." She leaned over and gave Carol a big hug. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. All that wine made me sleepy."

Carol chuckled. "Sounds good. I'll see you at breakfast."

"See you then. Good night."

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**Please and thank you! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm thinking that most of my chapters are going to be a little shorter now, that way I can update more often. Having a rambunctious two year old does not allow one to sit and write for long periods of time, haha!**

**Enjoy!**

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The next morning, Lindsey awoke in a daze. She laid there on the lumpy cot and tried to remember why she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. _Oh, yeah. Rick_. Everything from last night zipped through her brain and she tried to stop it by grabbing the front of her forehead as she sat up. She groggily rubbed her eyes and grit her teeth to fend off the throbbing in her head. _I'm never drinking again_.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet and began to get dressed - tight jeans, black boots and what was once a soft pink racerback tank, now dingy brown. She carefully checked her Glock, secured it and then slid her knife into it's holder on her belt. After taking a deep breath, she walked downstairs.

Almost everyone was at breakfast. Hershel was sitting at the closest table to the 'kitchen area' and noticed Lindsey walk by.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He asked with a hint of humor.

"I'm never drinking again," she voiced out loud with a groan.

"I'd give you some aspirin-"

"No way. This was self inflicted. Someone will need it more than me," she joked.

Hershel just chuckled. Lindsey picked up a bowl and filled it with her share of oatmeal. She found a seat next to Michonne and they exchanged 'good mornings' as she sat down. She hadn't talked a lot to Michonne in the four weeks that she'd been at the prison, but luckily conversation came easily for them.

"Where are the lovebirds?" Lindsey asked as she took a bite of food. _Ugh. Plain oatmeal is so nasty._

"Still sleeping. Probably had a long night," Michonne replied slyly.

They both exchanged a look and snorted, trying not to laugh. For a few minutes they sat in companionable silence as they finished their food. Lindsey looked around the room and noticed Daryl sitting by the door, checking his bolts. She couldn't help but wonder where Rick was. Obviously they were done with their watch but he was no where to be seen. Coincidentally, he happened to walk in at that moment. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against the wall as he talked to Daryl. He had to have come in sometime that morning because he was no longer wearing the suit from last night. Wearing his usual attire of black pants, worn cowboy boots, and blue plaid button-up shirt, Lindsey couldn't help but think that Rick looked ridiculously handsome in anything he wore.

Rick must have felt her eyes on him because he unexpectedly looked over at her from where he was standing. He barely acknowledged her, just a glance in her direction and then went back to talking to Daryl. Lindsey looked down at the bottom of her bowl and closed her eyes as her headache took a turn for the worse. She felt a nudge on her back and looked up to see Michonne motion for her to come along. Not knowing what she was expected to do, she quickly set her bowl in the bucket by the sink and joined Michonne next to Rick and Daryl. Lindsey made it a point not to look at Rick, even as he spoke up to say that they were going to be clearing the fences today. He explained that too many walkers were building up and they needed to be put down and burned before they managed to tear the place down.

Just as they were about to walk outside, Karen appeared in the doorway.

"You guys will want to see this," she said in a hushed voice.

She led them to the front gate and motioned to something on the other side. Lindsey couldn't see what because Karen was blocking her view, but when Karen stepped aside, she was surprised to see that it was a box. Lindsey watched as Daryl opened the gate and Rick cautiously approached the box. It was about 12" by 12" and topped with a red bow. He lightly kicked it with the tip of his boot and they all jumped when the box began to move. Not a lot, but just small shudders. Rick carefully removed the bow and while averting his face, opened the box. Lindsey couldn't see what was inside but it couldn't have been good because Rick glanced at it and then looked away with disgust.

Daryl looked over Rick's shoulder. "What the hell?" He exclaimed. "Who's that?"

Lindsey, Michonne and Karen finally came forward and gasped. Inside the box was a walker head, still chomping away. Unfortunately though, it looked fresh.

"It's Mr. Parker," mumbled Karen. "Or was..."

"Mr. Parker? He one of yours?" Daryl asked.

Karen nodded. "He was an older gentleman from Woodbury. I know I saw him last night at the wedding, but he didn't come to breakfast this morning."

"Obviously," Daryl grumbled.

Lindsey watched as Rick closed his eyes and grit his teeth. She decided to interject. "I think the most important question is - how did he get here? Who would do something like this? Everyone here seems so nice-"

"The Governor," Michonne spat out bitterly.

Lindsey glanced at Michonne and tried to remember where she had heard that name before. Some of the former Woodbury residents had mentioned him in conversation, but she couldn't say that she knew anything about him.

"Do you really think he's still around here?" Karen challenged.

"I'm sorry. Who is the Governor?" Lindsey finally asked.

"He's the bastard that shot you," Rick replied coldly.

Lindsey stared at him in shock, as did everyone else. "You knew who did this to me-?"

"And didn't bother to tell any of us?" Michonne growled.

Rick grasped his gun belt with one hand and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. He then dropped his hand and looked at them. Lindsey felt bad that they were ganging up on him, but it wasn't okay that he had kept them in the dark. Finally he spoke.

"Hershel and Daryl knew. Honestly, I'm not even a hundred percent sure that it was the Governor. All I know is that we didn't want to cause a panic."

Rick looked at everyone and then ultimately, Lindsey. His bright blue eyes pierced her gaze and she found that she was embarrassed when it knocked the breath from her body. Eventually she looked down, but then back up when Rick came toward her and spoke quietly.

"I'm sorry, Lindsey. I should have told you. You were scared and I guess I was just afraid that once you found out our connection with the man that hurt you, well, I was afraid you'd leave." He said the last few words awkwardly. She figured that he hated admitting something like that in front of his strongest allies.

She shrugged. "I understand. You were just trying to protect me. Just don't keep things like that from us in the future. We deserve to know."

Slowly, Rick nodded. "Absolutely."

"So what do we do about Mr. Parker?" Karen asked.

Before anyone could reply, Michonne unsheathed her sword and jammed in through Mr. Parker's skull. Then, using the tip of her boot to hold down his head, she pulled it out as dark blood bubbled to the top and oozed down the front of his face.

"Woah! What the fuck?" Karen exclaimed.

"I put him out of his misery," Michonne answered as she sheathed her sword and stalked back into the prison.

Angrily, Karen watched her until she was inside and then turned to Rick expectantly. He shrugged.

"Sorry, Karen. They wasn't really any other way."

"So now what?" Lindsey asked before Karen could argue.

"Now, we clean the fences like we had planned and then tonight I'll tell everyone what's going on. At least, what we _think_ is going on. We still don't know for sure if it was the Governor," Rick stated.

"Come on, Rick. Remember when Michonne told us 'bout his fish tanks. This has gotta be him," Daryl argued.

Rick nodded thoughtfully. "I guess we'll find out sooner or later."

The four of them stood in ominous silence for a moment and then Daryl interrupted. "Alright people, we're wastin' daylight. Let's get this done. Come on, Karen."

Before Rick could oppose, Daryl and Karen had gone to take care of the walkers on the right side, leaving a wearisome Rick and Lindsey with the left.

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	8. Chapter 8

Rick and Lindsey walked along the fence and she could now see why this job needed to be done. The entire fence was lined with walkers. Others were starting to come in from the woods, creating a second row. Obviously it wasn't wise to test the strength of the fences so Lindsey good-humoredly accepted the task.

Starting with the first walker she came across, she raised the crowbar Rick had given her and shoved it forcefully through the gap in the fence. It sliced through the walker's rotting eye socket and as she pulled it back through, the walker fell to the ground with a thud. Over the desperately hungry groans, she could hear a similar noise coming from Rick's direction. She glanced over and watched as he easily put down a male walker with his own crowbar.

They continued like this for awhile, taking a breather here and there. They were getting close to the end when Lindsey's crowbar got stuck in a walker's skull, caught on the fence and then fell through onto the other side.

"Dammit!" She exclaimed, wiping her sweaty palms on her dirty jeans. "Lost my crowbar."

"It's alright. I'll get the last few and then we'll have to go on the other side anyway. Do you want to pull the truck up so we can load them for burning?" Rick asked.

"Sure. Be right back."

Lindsey climbed into the Dodge truck and drove it to the front gate. She left it running while she waited for Rick. He opened the gate and walked through to close it on the other side. She parked the truck and got out to help him with the bodies. He had exchanged the crowbar for a machete and was in the process of taking down a stray walker.

They were lifting the bodies into the bed of the truck when Lindsey thought she heard a suspicious noise. The world was so quiet now that basically any noise could be questioned, but this one was somewhat familiar.

"Rick, do you hear that?"

He was holding the shoulder end of a female walker and paused mid step to listen. Abruptly he dropped it as a cloud of dust billowed up from the road nearby.

"Shit! Get to the gate!" He shouted, pushing her in that direction.

They were halfway there when a large off-white SUV pulled up right next to them. Rick was raising his gun as four men jumped out. He shot one in the shoulder before they advanced on him and took him down with a well aimed punch to the temple. He slumped in their arms as they dragged him back to the SUV. Lindsey struggled to open the gate, but they didn't allow her to do so. She screamed when a large arm wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air. She was tossed into the back and collided with something solid. It took her a moment to realize that it was Rick.

As the vehicle tore away from the prison, Lindsey had a faint idea of who was behind this.

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Rick groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Everything was hazy but suddenly came into focus, along with a deep throbbing pain in his head.

"Rick? Rick!" There was a sharp whisper by his ear.

He turned to see Lindsey laying next to him. Normally he would have welcomed this view of her, but the alarm in her eyes alerted him to the stress of their current situation.

"Rick, are you okay?" She asked, worriedly.

He took a deep breath and nodded, which sent another shooting pain to his temple. He grit his teeth and then focused on her honey-colored eyes.

"Where the hell are we?" He mumbled.

"In the back of some SUV. I'm guessing your friend, The Governor, decided to make his presence known sooner than we thought. What are we gonna do?" She whispered.

Rick attempted to reach for his gun and realized he couldn't move his hands. She looked at him wearily.

"They tied our hands while you were out. Any ideas?"

Before he could respond, the men in the vehicle started talking.

"So what are we supposed to do with them?"

"The Governor wants us to keep 'em locked up until he gets back from the prison. Once he takes everyone out and gets the black ninja, he'll come back to take care of 'em."

Obviously, all doubt about The Governor's involvement was out the window now. Rick was looking into Lindsey's eyes when they spoke again.

"So what does he want with the girl we picked up? She certainly ain't the black ninja."

"Oh, she's for us."

They all started laughing wickedly.

Rick watched as her lips parted on a silent gasp. Instantly, it felt like his blood was on fire. The thought of some other man putting his hands on her, especially in such a lewd manner, made him crazy. This poor woman had been through the wringer; he was determined to end it all now.

Fighting the pain in his head, he looked down and was surprised to discover that his weapons were still in place. A quick glance confirmed that Lindsey's were as well. He motioned for her to turn over and grab his knife. Her hands reached around and brushed the front of his pants as she tried to locate his knife. He bit his lip and tried to remind his lower "brain" of their dire situation. Finally, she got her hands on his knife and pulled it from it's sheath. After some careful cutting and wiggling, his hands were free. Rick quickly cut her ties and then using the tip of his knife, he pried open a small panel on the hatchback door.

"Take out your gun and get ready to roll," he whispered.

Lindsey slid her Glock out of it's holster and waited. Rick took a deep breath and then pulled the small white latch inside the open panel. As the back door popped open, they tucked their heads and rolled out onto the dirt road below. The landing had not been soft, but they couldn't waste any time. The SUV had screeched to halt only twenty feet in front of them. Rick quickly pulled Lindsey to her feet and shot the first man to exit the vehicle. He dropped on the spot. As they made their way into the woods, the other three men exchanged some choice words.

"What the fuck, Bowman? You left 'em their weapons?!"

"I tied them up. I figured that would be enough!" Bowman replied.

"We don't have time for this shit, Martinez. We need to get them back before The Governor finds out!" The third man exclaimed.

Rick couldn't hear them anymore after that. He and Lindsey ran through the woods for what seemed like forever, until she unexpectedly collapsed. Rick dropped down next to her, both of them breathing hard.

"My leg. It can't handle this much running. I'm sorry-" Lindsey gasped.

"It's okay. You've done great. Put your arms around my neck," he replied, feeling a tinge of déjà vu.

Lindsey held onto him tightly as he picked her up and hurried deeper into the woods.

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	9. Chapter 9

Rick set Lindsey on her feet so he could catch his breath. It felt like they were never going to make it back to the prison. He was attempting to stay parallel to the road but unfortunately, none of their surroundings looked familiar to him.

"It looks like there might be a house up that hill, we may be able to find some food there. How are you feeling?" He asked, his chest heaving.

"I think I can walk on my own now. Thank you," Lindsey answered, gratefully.

Rick let his gaze wander over her delicate features. She did look quite a bit better now; some color had returned to her face. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking up at the tangled forest around them. Clearly, she was trying to gage their location using the position of the sun. Rick looked down at her jean-clad legs and was sure that she was favoring her left side. He hoped that this sudden exertion didn't mess up all the recovery she had made so far.

They started up the slight incline and came upon a small cabin. There were no vehicles in the yard and it was clear that no one had been there for some time. The grass was at least waist high and even taller in some places. Not that there had probably been much a yard in the first place. Noting all the small rocks, he imagined they probably would have needed to use a trimmer to cut it down. He chuckled softly.

"What?" Lindsey asked nervously.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about they would have to cut the grass in this yard. It's kind of funny to think about what was important before."

Lindsey smiled. "Like vacuuming or paying the cable bill. I certainly don't miss those things."

"I don't know...sometimes I do," Rick murmured as he continued to look around thoughtfully.

They walked up the rocky driveway and noticed another small building further back in the woods. It wasn't a garage and looked too big to be a shed.

"Hey, I think I'll check this out first. Wait out here and keep watch?" Rick asked, gesturing at the odd structure.

"Sure thing," Lindsey replied as she pulled out her gun.

Rick carefully approached the building and scanned his surroundings as he went. He didn't want to assume anything, but this place was so grown in that he didn't think The Governor's men would be able to see it from the road. They would just have to take their chances.

Knife at the ready, he tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it unlocked. He slowly opened the door and stepped inside. All the windows were covered in thick, severely dated curtains. He pulled one back to let in some light and was surprised to see that it was a bunkhouse. There were two single beds and two bunk beds, along with a bookshelf full of various items. He stood in front of the shelf and cracked a smile as he picked up a dusty Cabbage Patch doll. He remembered that those had been around when he was a kid. _Talk about dated_. There were stacks of books with yellowing covers and a couple ancient board games. Confused, he picked up a square plastic package containing a pool lounge chair.

"What the hell would they need this for?" He mumbled to himself.

Rick stepped outside and walked toward Lindsey. She was in the same spot as before but facing away from the driveway now.

"Rick, come here."

Normally, he would have been worried about what she was going to show him but there was a hint of a smile in her voice. She pointed at something and he followed her gaze. The late afternoon sun was shimmering off a patch of water that was peeking through the overgrown trees. _Well, that explains the pool float_. Rick gestured for her to follow and they started down the steep hill to the water. Lindsey slid on some loose rocks and almost lost her footing. He guessed that her leg was still pretty weak so he offered her his arm to hold onto. Her palm was surprisingly soft and he couldn't help but notice how dainty her hand looked against his muscular arm.

When they got to the bottom, she thanked him quietly and he nodded back. They stood on the shore and took in the refreshing sight before them.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Lindsey breathed.

Aside from the crumbling dock jutting out from the shore, they were gazing upon something untouched by the destruction of man - a large lake with glorious, sparkling water and clusters of bright green trees. Birds swept through the air happily, oblivious to the dangers lurking in the nearby woods.

Rick heard Lindsey inhale deeply and watched as she closed her eyes and exhaled. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she bit her bottom lip blissfully.

"It really is beautiful," he concurred. _Just like you._

Rick wanted to curse the little voice inside his head. He had allowed himself one evening to give into it. Maybe it had been the wine, or maybe he had just been lonely. Maybe it had been a combination of a lot of things. But now he knew that he wasn't ready to take a step in that direction. Yes, he couldn't deny that he thought Lindsey was beautiful. He sensed that she had feelings for him as well. _He _just couldn't shake the overwhelming guilt he felt every time he thought of Lori. It had been his idea to go to the prison. He hadn't made sure that Andrew was actually dead and he wasn't there when Lori had needed the most. Now, Carl had that weight on his shoulders. Rick wished with everything he possessed that he could take that from him. So no, he wouldn't give into his own feelings for Lindsey. He needed to think of Carl and Judith. He absolutely could not fail them like had his wife.

Which brought him to the present. The Governor was headed to the prison. Everyone he cared about was in danger and there was no way he could get back in time to help them.

As if she could read his mind, Lindsey interrupted his thoughts.

"What are we going to do, Rick?" She whispered. "It's going to be getting dark soon."

"I've seen this lake on a map before. We're a lot further from the prison than I originally thought. How long was I out?" He asked apprehensively.

"It felt like an hour. It was probably more like ten minutes." She continued to stare out across the water. He couldn't read the expression on her face.

"It took us maybe another five minutes to get out of there. So if there weren't any road blocks and we were traveling about sixty miles per hour, we ended up, what, fifteen miles away?" He glanced at Lindsey for confirmation.

Her mouth quirked up at the corner. "I always hated math problems. But yes, that sounds about right. How far do you think we've gone?"

"Not even five miles. Unless we find a car, we won't make it before dark." Rick closed his eyes and ran a calloused hand over his beard. This was another moment when he felt that he was failing his family.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but to keep going would be suicide. We wouldn't survive after dark and we're not guaranteed to find another place to stay."

He could tell that she was nervously awaiting his response. "Well, we'll just have to hope that The Governor's henchmen don't come looking for us here."

Rick turned to walk up the hill to the cabin, but Lindsey stopped him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a small squeeze. Before he could react she had already pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could say to ease your mind. We'll get back to them, no matter what." She gave him a reassuring look and started up the hill.

* * *

Rick walked into the cabin first. He had had to break the latch for the padlock using a rock from the driveway. Like the bunkhouse, all the curtains were drawn. Unfortunately, they didn't have their flashlights so Lindsey stayed close behind him. He felt along the wall until he brushed a piece of thickly cobwebbed material. Pulling it back, a thin line of light appeared across the room, exposing a small kitchen. There was a gas stove, an ugly pale green refrigerator, and a short length of counter with a built-in sink. Rick told her to wait there while he searched the rest of the cabin.

The kitchen opened up into a decent-sized living room. Clearly this whole place had not been redecorated since the 1970s. A couch and matching armchair with a hokey orange flower pattern inhabited the middle of the room. There was a brick fireplace to his right and a small, box television to his left. Straight ahead was a large doorway that had a hanging piece of cloth, also flowered, instead of a door. He quickly brushed it aside and scanned the dark room. He wasn't expecting to find anyone there anyway. This had been someone's family camp, used only for long weekends in the summer. He guessed that the owner had locked it up at the end of the season and didn't survive long enough to come back.

This last room was the bedroom. It had a full size bed, two night stands and a linen closet. Rick walked back to the kitchen and found Lindsey searching the cabinets.

"Oh, yum!" She exclaimed as she pulled out two large cans of fruit cocktail. "Want one?"

"Thanks," he said, catching the can after she tossed it in his direction.

Eagerly, she opened her can and passed him the opener when she was done, along with a fork from the drawer.

"I also found some tea and sugar, which makes me so happy. I just don't know how to use the gas stove - mine were always electric. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, I had a gas stove in my house. When there isn't any power you need a match." He pulled one from the wooden dispenser nearby. "Turn the knob for the burner, which will turn on the gas. Then you need to light the match." With a whoosh, small flames danced before them in a neat, blue circle.

"Wow, that's not too difficult. Thank you," Lindsey replied.

Rick silently ate his food and watched her summon a pot and fill it with water from a jug. She set it on the stove to boil and started gathering all the fixings.

"I didn't know you liked tea. I figured most people were coffee drinkers," Rick stated.

"Tea was always my drink of choice. I haven't had a cup in months. I used to have two or three a day." She chuckled softly.

"I probably had at least eight cups of coffee in the course of a day," Rick replied with a smirk.

"My God, eight? You had to have been a cop or worked in an office."

"Sheriff's Deputy, so yes and yes." He cracked a smile as he watched her face light up with satisfaction from guessing correctly.

The water was boiling now so she carefully poured it into two mugs and added a tea bag to each. After a couple minutes she added a spoonful of sugar to one and then glanced at Rick. He gestured for her to go ahead. She added the same amount to his and delicately handed it over. He set down his now empty can and accepted it with a polite nod.

* * *

Lindsey balanced her mug in one hand and can of fruit in the other, and walked into the living room. She made a face at the sight of the couch, but didn't say anything. She set her meal down on the end table and scanned the room.

"What are you looking for?" Rick asked as he took a quick sip of hot tea.

"A blanket?"

"In the bedroom closet." He pointed at the doorway behind her. "You might want to shake it out first - just in case."

She scrunched up her nose and walked into the other room. There wasn't a lot of light but it was clear that she wouldn't be able to reach the blankets as they were on the top shelf. "Rick?"

"Yeah?" He stepped into the room without her even having to ask.

She pointed to the blankets. "I'm too short."

Rick stretched up on his tip toes to reach for the first blanket. He passed it to her and then started to pull down the next blanket. There was a sliding sound and a thud as something solid landed on Rick's head. He attempted to shield himself, but it was too late. He collapsed onto the floor holding his head.

"Rick?! Are you okay?" Lindsey exclaimed, falling to her knees beside him.

"Ugh! What was that?" He carefully pulled his hands away from his head and checked for blood; there was none.

Without hesitation, Lindsey held his face in her hands and looked him over. Her movements were almost frantic. Suddenly, she realized that Rick wasn't moving and instead was studying her face. They were so close that she could feel his warm breath on her parted lips. Her whole body screamed to just kiss him, but after last time she didn't want to take the chance of being rejected. She lightly caressed his prickly cheek with her fingertips and tried to tear her gaze from his. His eyes had turned a gorgeous shade of dark blue and glittered wildly in the dimly lit room. Unconsciously, she lightly wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. Her heart was beating out of her chest now. Just as the tip of her nose brushed his, she grit her teeth and pulled away. She sat back and they both took a couple deep breaths to release the tension in the air.

Lindsey moved to lift the now unfolded blankets and gasped. "This might come in handy."

* * *

**Happy 4th, everyone! Don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

_Lindsey hurried down the hallway and through the first doorway she came to. She slammed the door behind her and turned around. The room was empty and consisted of only four, dark and dirty concrete walls. She had been here before, but only in her dreams. It was how she knew what would happen next._

_She blinked and there was Jared. He stood before her in his Braves jersey. Everything looked normal about him except for his eyes. No longer a brilliant green, they were gray and covered with a milky haze. He stepped toward her and she tried to take a step back but was still pressed against the closed door. A voice in her head repeated the words she had heard hundreds of times before._

**It's not him. He is going to kill you. Put him down.**

_Since the room was empty she had nothing to use in defense. He quickly advanced on her and she pushed him away. He came at her again and this time she kicked out his legs, sending him to the floor with a thud. Before he could get up, she jumped onto him and held his head in both her hands. With a wave of nausea, she attempted to twist his head around. It was like this every time. She was suddenly too weak to do what she needed to do. It was like every muscle was gone from her arms. Finally, she grit her teeth and fought the weightlessness. With a gut wrenching snap, she knew it was done. She stood up and looked down at her husband._

_This was usually the part when she saw that his eyes had cleared and he was staring into nothingness. But this time it wasn't him. Instead, Rick's blue eyes were empty and lifeless. Lindsey fell to her knees, sobs ripping from her throat._

_"Oh, God. Rick..." She carefully touched his cheek and still he didn't move._

**You killed him.**

_"Oh, Rick. What did I do? Rick!" She screamed._

Suddenly, Lindsey jolted awake. Rick's face was hovering over hers. She had never been so thankful to see his vibrant, blue eyes. She could hear a loud whimpering noise mixed with rapid breathing and quickly realized both were coming from her. Rick held her shoulders and softly rubbed her soft skin with his thumb. Wetness streaked her cheeks and she gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

"Shh, you're okay. You're awake now," he murmured.

Lindsey looked into his eyes as he attempted to help her take slower breaths. They both inhaled, exhaled and gradually she began to appear calmer.

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help," he suggested as he sat down into the nearby armchair.

She wrapped the worn blanket tightly around her shoulders and glanced at him. He was leaning back with his ankle on the opposite knee and one elbow resting on the arm of the chair. She looked away from him, not sure if she really wanted to tell him the whole thing. Especially the part that involved her husband turning into him. When she spoke, her voice was noticeably heavy from sleeping.

"I've had this dream since the beginning...or the end, depending on how you look at it..."

"How often?" Rick asked quietly.

She shrugged. "Probably four or five nights a week, sometimes more."

Rick nodded, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. It was all the encouragement she needed to tell him about her dream.

"I'm running from something. I don't know what, just that I have to get away. I close myself in an abandoned room, but suddenly Jared is there. He looks exactly as I last remember him, except for his eyes. He had the most beautiful green eyes. I always joked that they were the reason I married him." Her lips twitched into a small smile, but was quickly replaced with a frown. She didn't say out loud that she had hoped their children would have green eyes like their father. "For a moment I think that it's still him and he won't attack me, but something in my mind tells me that he's a threat and the only way to survive...is to kill him."

Lindsey stopped and ran a hand through her hair. It exaggerated the part and made her look disheveled, which was fitting at the moment. She regarded Rick, expecting him to say something. Instead, he patiently waited for her to continue. She began, slower this time. As if it actually pained her to speak.

"He comes at me. I try to fight him off, but I'm so weak. Eventually I...do what I needed to do. But when I look at him, his eyes have cleared. Now the voice is telling me that he wasn't a threat and I killed him in cold blood. I start crying and scream his name, hoping that he'll wake up. That it's some sick joke or - just a dream..."

Through a single glance, they exchanged an unspoken thought: There was no relief after waking from these nightmares, because it was ongoing. Their lives were nightmares.

"Is it always Jared that you see?" Rick asked suddenly.

"Yes, uh...of course. Why?" She lied. She didn't want him to think she was some crazy woman having dreams about him.

"No reason. Just curious," he responded while scratching his head, not meeting her eyes.

"D-did I say anything before I woke up?" Lindsey tried to ask casually.

This time he did look at her. He appeared to be hesitating. Finally he said: "No, it just sounded like you were crying."

Lindsey knew he was the one lying now. Her past group members had told her that during that particular nightmare she cried out her dead husband's name before waking. _Always_. She knew that Rick had heard her say his name. She just hoped that it didn't make him see her differently.

Attempting to break the tension-filled silence, Lindsey changed the subject. "I'm sorry if I woke you. You look exhausted."

"Yeah, well, you didn't. I couldn't sleep. I decided to clean the hunting rifle that was so kind as to crack me over the head. I swear, if I get hit one more time in the head, there's going to be permanent damage." He gestured to the rifle bitterly.

"That rifle may very well save your head. It's a good thing we found it, or that it found us." Lindsey smiled wryly. "Do you know what time it is?"

All the curtains had been pulled shut so it was impossible to see if there was any daylight yet. Rick studied his watch by the dim lantern they had found under the kitchen sink.

"It's almost five. The sun will be coming up pretty soon. We should get our things together and head out at first light. Would you like a cup of tea before we leave?" He asked as he got up to walk into the kitchen.

"Yes, please. I could use the caffeine." Lindsey stretched and got up to use the bathroom. She did her business and walked back into the living room. Rick presented her with a steaming mug and she took it gratefully.

* * *

They were eating their small breakfast in comfortable silence until there was the prominent sound of tires on gravel. Rick rushed to the nearest window and pulled back the curtain just enough to see down the driveway. At the same time, Lindsey dimmed the lantern until the room was swallowed in darkness.

"Can you tell who it is?" She asked nervously.

Squinting, Rick was able to spot the outline of a battering ram on the front of the approaching vehicle. He recognized it immediately.

"We gotta go. Grab the rifle, I'll get the bag of supplies. We'll go out the back." Rick rushed to throw the last couple necessities in a nearby bag that he had found in the bedroom earlier. After throwing the bag over his shoulder, he withdrew his gun from it's holster and checked the barrel - two bullets. _Shit._ He rushed to meet Lindsey and found her waiting, the rifle slung over her back. "Just stay low and head for the woods that lead in the direction of the prison. If we get split up, just keep going and follow close to the lake. Got it?" He whispered. Lindsey nodded. "Good. Let's go."

Rick carefully unlocked the door and opened it enough so they could slip through. Lindsey quickly made her way into the woods, which were dark with brush. He was about to follow when the beam of a flashlight crossed his path. A shadow appeared in front of him and he heard the familiar sound of a gun being cocked.

"Found ya, Sheriff. You're a little late for your date with The Governor. Shall we?"

Rick attempted to aim his gun at Martinez but was grabbed from behind and quickly disarmed by Bowman. He clenched his jaw in frustration. Martinez prodded him forward and he dragged his feet, trying to buy some time. He subtlety looked to see if Lindsey was nearby but it was too dark.

"Where the fuck is Tom? Shouldn't he have finished his sweep by now?" Martinez snapped, still pushing Rick to walk faster. Tom must have been one of The Governor's new recruits. _Dumb bastard._

"I'll find him," Bowman volunteered.

"And the girl! I know she's gotta be close by," Martinez hissed.

Bowman ran off and Martinez continued to shove Rick forward. His mind was racing. _How was he going to get out of this? Where was Lindsey? Did Tom find her?_ Horrible thoughts swirled through his head. Martinez solidified it as he started antagonizing him.

"She is quite the looker. I do hope you got a piece of that 'cause as of today, she's _mine_. I told the guys I'd share, and hey, maybe if I get bored I will. But first, she needs to know what it feels like to be with a real man-"

Rick clenched his fists until they ached. He was about to turn around and beat the living daylights out of Martinez, when he heard a loud crack and felt the splatter of a dense liquid on his back. He peered over his shoulder and saw that there was a huge hole where Martinez's face had been only a moment before. His body lay crumpled on the rocky driveway. Rick looked up and was surprised to see Lindsey was running toward him, rifle in hand. She stopped so quickly that her boots slid across the gravel.

"Oh, God. You're okay!" She whispered breathlessly.

He was about to wrap his arms around her when he noticed that her hands were streaked with blood.

"What the hell happened, Lindsey?! Are _you_ okay?"

"Rick, I'm alright...I took care of them," she murmured while attempting to wipe the blood off on her jeans.

"_Them_?" He asked harshly.

She shrugged and touched the knife on her hip. "I did what I had to do. I told you that you'd get back to Carl and Judith. No matter what."

* * *

**I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! Summer is always crazy busy. Thank you for continuing to read my story and for all the wonderful reviews! They make my day! :-)**


	11. Chapter 11

"We should walk from here. Who knows what we'll find when we get there," Rick stated bleakly.

He and Lindsey had taken the SUV since it wouldn't be of any use now to the Governor's henchmen. Driving the last ten miles had been a breeze compared to walking aimlessly through the woods.

About a half mile from the prison, he pulled into a driveway that was almost completely grown in. Lindsey had been reloading the rifle while he drove. As he turned off the ignition, she passed it to him. Their gazes locked and he had to admit that he saw her differently now. Yes, he had killed living, breathing people, but not everyone in their group had. He knew the weight it carried, even if it had been justified. And it wasn't just that she had killed three men - she had done it to protect _him_. Herself, too, but that was simply human nature.

"You ready?" She asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He nodded and stepped out of the vehicle. Lindsey followed, the duffle bag of supplies tossed over her shoulder.

As they walked through the woods surrounding the prison, the sun could be seen peeking over the horizon. It turned the leaves a warm shade of gold, and they shimmered lightly in the passing breeze. The only sound that could be heard was the chirping of birds and crickets.

When they got to the clearing in front of the prison, they hid in the tall grass to get a better view without making their presence known. It was clear that someone was standing in the guard tower but it was difficult to say who. Carefully, Rick looked through the scope on the rifle and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

"It's Carol. That's gotta be a good sign, right?" He glanced back at Lindsey but didn't get a reply. She was staring off slightly to the left, a concerned look on her face. "What is it?" He asked nervously.

"Rick, what's on that side of the prison?"

He followed her gaze and his breath caught. Even without the scope, it was clear that a large group of people were moving around - digging to be exact.

"Oh, God..." he whispered.

"Come on. We need Carol to see us so they'll open the gate," she stated, starting to stand up.

Rick shouldered the rifle and joined her. They raised their arms into the air and walked out into the open in front of the guard tower. Carol started to lift her gun but stopped when she realized it was them.

"Rick! Lindsey! I'll be right down. Watch your backs!" She prompted as she disappeared down the tower staircase.

Lindsey turned to see a male walker coming at her from behind. She pulled out her knife and jabbed it into the side of his skull. She released the walker and her knife slid out with a soft squelching sound. Rick took out two more that were milling around by the gate. Carol appeared and hastily opened it far enough for them to squeeze through. They rushed in and she shut it as walkers swarmed the outside. They weren't able to form a single thought before Carol threw her arms around them - Rick first, then Lindsey.

"I can't believe you're alright! How did you get away?" She asked, bewildered.

"We have our ways," Rick said quickly. "What happened, Carol? Are Carl and Judith okay?"

"Yes, they're okay. I think Carl will be a lot better though when he sees you're back. Everyone else - I can't speak for them." She paused. "The Governor was here, Rick. We knew that he had to have taken both of you, but before we could even figure out a plan, he showed up with his new army."

Rick closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "How many?" He mumbled. He lifted his head and looked at her. "How many did they kill?"

"Twelve. Ten from Woodbury, Karen and...Sasha," Carol answered shakily.

"Dammit!" Rick shouted.

"There's more. He took Michonne. Daryl followed them to see if he can figure out where they are holding her. He's not back yet."

It was easy to see that Carol was worried about him. Lindsey stepped forward and gently touched Carol's arm.

"Don't worry about Daryl. I'm sure he's fine. We think their camp is at least fifteen miles from here so he's probably still on his way back. Besides, you know that man can certainly take care of himself," Lindsey said with a slight smile.

Carol pressed her lips together and nodded. Once again, she hugged Lindsey tightly.

Rick interrupted: "I'm going to find Carl. Is he inside?"

Carol released Lindsey as she spoke. "Yes. He and Beth are with Judith. A few people from the Woodbury group were injured so Hershel has been caring for them. Everyone else is digging graves." She said the last words quietly.

"I'll go help them," Lindsey replied.

Rick nodded and walked into the prison to find his children.

* * *

Lindsey approached the open space of the prison yard that had turned into a full size cemetery overnight. Everyone's face was a portrait of despair - that was until they saw that one of their own had actually made it back. Maggie immediately dropped her shovel and ran to Lindsey.

"Oh my God! Wh-where did you come from? Is Rick with you?" Maggie exclaimed as they embraced.

"He's here. He went to see Carl and Judith." Lindsey held her at arms length. "I'm _so_ sorry that we weren't here. We tried to get back as fast as we could, but we ran out of daylight."

Maggie shook her head. "It's not your fault. You're here now and in one piece. That's what matters."

"Is there anything I can do?" Lindsey asked while looking around. Various people from the Woodbury group were digging graves for their own. She didn't think her heart could feel any heavier, but once she laid eyes on Tyreese, she knew she was mistaken. He was off to one corner by himself, using a pickaxe to chip away at the rocky soil. A slender sheet-wrapped body lay next to the slowly expanding hole.

Maggie leaned in close to whisper: "He's not handling it very well and rightfully so. The Governor killed Sasha and he didn't find her until after. She had turned. He hasn't spoken to anyone since."

The two women exchanged a look of concern. Picking up a nearby shovel, Lindsey started toward Tyreese.

"Lindsey!" Maggie whispered sharply.

She didn't look back. While she had never personally gone through the death of a sibling, she knew that talking was the last thing you wanted to do right after losing a loved one. You also made a habit of not asking for help when you needed it the most. When she reached Tyreese she didn't say one word - just started digging. He looked up slightly, a small glare forming on his face. Once he realized that she wasn't going to make a fuss over him, he went back to hacking at the dirt.

* * *

The group held a small ceremony for the deceased. Right as Hershel was finishing up his last words, they heard the familiar rumble of a motorcycle. Everyone met Daryl as he came through the gate. He looked physically exhausted. Rick half shook his hand, half hugged him after he got off of his bike.

"It's good to see ya, man," Daryl stated.

"Likewise. How was it out there? Did you find their camp?" Rick questioned.

Daryl scoffed. "Camp? Naw. They're staying in a storage unit facility about sixteen miles from here. Place is locked up tight. Good news - I think we knocked him down to about ten men. The only issue is gettin' in."

"Alright, let's get everyone inside and then figure out a plan. Good work," Rick said. "Carol, I hate to ask this of you, but would you be able to go up in the guard tower for a little bit longer?"

"Of course-" She began.

"Carol, you go inside and get something to eat. I got this," Lindsey interjected quietly.

"Sweetie, are you sure? You haven't sat down since you got back," Carol replied in her motherly tone.

"Yes, I'm sure. Go ahead," Lindsey replied confidently.

Carol thanked her and handed over her rifle.

* * *

Everyone except Lindsey entered the prison and attempted to catch up on their chores, though the tasks seemed trivial after what they had just endured.

Rick gathered Daryl, Hershel, Maggie and Glenn to meet at a table in the cafeteria. Daryl spread out a map on the smooth metal surface as they all sat down.

"Alright, _this_ is where I think they are. If we take this road here and then walk the rest of the way, they shouldn't see us comin'," Daryl stated.

"And then what? Just barge right in?" Glenn questioned skeptically.

Daryl shrugged. "More or less. The building has at least three entrances, but I think they only use one."

"Did you see where we'll be able to find The Governor and Michonne?" Rick asked.

Daryl shook his head. "All the storage units are inside. I'm assuming he has her locked up in one somewhere, that is...if he's decided to keep her alive."

Maggie spoke up but continued to look down at the table. "She's alive. He likes to mess with his victims first." The silence following her statement was a challenge to the others to bring up her personal experience. They all knew better.

"But what if you get there and she is dead? You'd have risked all your lives for nothing," Hershel said now.

"Not nothing. The Governor," Rick said with conviction. "His reign ends now."

"Then you can count me in," a voice said from behind them. They turned to see Tyreese standing in the doorway.

Rick nodded slowly. "Okay then. We leave in thirty minutes. We'll need more than one vehicle so load up the two with the most fuel. I'm going to get Lindsey."

* * *

Lindsey could hear someone coming up the guard tower stairs. Secretly, she hoped it was Rick. She needed to talk to him. There was a small flutter in her stomach when the door opened and his stunning blue eyes met hers.

"What's going on?" She asked casually.

He stood with his hands resting on his hips. "We're leaving soon. If there's anything you need to do before we go, you should do it now."

She had never really had much of a dirty mind, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was a double meaning to his statement. Pushing the inappropriate thoughts from her head, she focused on what she had planned to tell him.

"I'm going to stay," Lindsey declared.

Rick looked confused and was about to say something but she interrupted him.

"The past twenty four hours have done a number on my leg. Usually I suck it up and pretend that it's not that bad, but I refuse to be responsible for getting someone killed when it inevitably gives out. I'd rather sound like a wimp than be the cause of harm to any of you. I'll stay here with Carol and keep watch. Do you think there's a chance that The Governor will come back while you're gone?" She asked apprehensively.

Rick shook his head. "I thought about that, but he's got what he wanted. He's had it out for Michonne since she killed his daughter and took out his eye."

Lindsey frowned. "She killed his daughter?"

Rick threw her a sideways glance. "She was already dead."

Lindsey raised her eyebrows. "Oh," she said simply. "One of those. This Governor sounds like a real piece of work."

"That he is," Rick murmured while staring across the prison yard. He was clearly distracted by his own thoughts.

Lindsey reached out suddenly and took both of Rick's hands in her own. It startled him enough to get his complete attention.

"You be careful, alright? No stupid shit. Just get Michonne and then come back to us," she murmured, while gazing at Rick. The look that they shared conveyed that after everything they had just been through, it was going to be strange for them to be apart. It was obvious that he wished she was coming with them.

Finally, she gave him a melancholy smile and stood on her tip toes to place a soft kiss on his stubbly cheek. Her lips lingered for a moment longer than she intended and Rick closed his eyes. Call it heat of the moment, but he gave into temptation. He turned his head and kissed her gently on the mouth. She lightly tugged at the wavy hair on the nape of his neck and returned the kiss thoroughly.

They had been fighting their feelings for each other for so long, but in this moment, they accepted it for what it was - possibly, goodbye.

* * *

**I hope you all are enjoying the gradual build-up between Rick and Lindsey. I promise that there will be some lovin' soon! I just want to stay true to Rick's character. :) Leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

"So how do we want to do this?" Glenn asked the group uneasily.

He, Maggie, Rick, Daryl and Tyreese were hiding out in the woods that surrounded the storage unit facility. Like Rick had done earlier in the day, they parked less than a mile away and continued the rest of the way on foot to remain unnoticed.

Rick passed Glenn one of their guns with a homemade silencer. "You and I will take out the four men standing in the front. Daryl and Tyreese - you take the bolt cutter and go in the entrance on the left side. Maggie - you wait here with the rifle and be our eyes. You, Daryl and I will carry the battery operated walkies. Keep the volume low. Only use it if you're in serious trouble or you've found Michonne or The Governor. We'll plan to meet back here after. If we get separated, we'll meet at the cars instead. Got it?"

Everyone nodded. Maggie got into position while Daryl and Tyreese circled around to the left side of the building. Rick and Glenn got as close as they could to the front door while staying out of sight at the edge of the woods. They agreed on which two guards they would each take out because a miscommunication would be the difference between life and death.

Quickly, they shot the first two men and then fired upon the other two before they could even react. Rick moved forward and checked the bodies carefully to make sure they were dead. Silently, he indicated to Glenn that they were clear and then confiscated two of the assault rifles. It wasn't part of the plan to use them because they wanted to keep the whole operation as quiet as possible, but they were good backup if everything went to hell.

After scanning the front perimeter of the building, they discreetly opened the outside door. The facility seemed to be running off a backup generator because only the emergency lights were on. Their shadows looked dramatic in the dim lighting as they moved slowly down the quiet hallway.

They were startled by a sudden ruckus of laughter from somewhere inside. Rick glanced around the corner and found the continuing hallway to be clear. He signaled to Glenn as they neared the source of all the noise. A large two-way window allowed them to get a glimpse into the room. It appeared to be a former office or break room that was now being used in a similar manner. Six men sat around a circular table that was topped with a scattered deck of cards and assorted liquor bottles. One of the men made an obscene gesture to the man across from him and they all burst into another fit of laughter.

Rick placed his back against the wall and blew out a tense breath. _Six _men?How the hell were they going to take care of that problem? He and Glenn could try to sneak by and just keep looking for Michonne, but a small part of Rick knew that these men would shoot at them sooner or later. Why not catch them off guard while they had the opportunity?

Rick glanced at Glenn and nodded. Glenn returned with a look that slightly resembled a teenager finding out that he's still grounded. His shoulders dropped and he closed his eyes on a grimace.

Using his hands while silently mouthing the words, Rick explained that he would stay low under the window and shoot first through the open doorway, guaranteeing at least one kill. After that, any strategy was probably out the window. Out of habit, Rick almost turned to Glenn to say 'don't get dead, Jack,' but stopped himself. It was a quote from the movie _Speed_ that he and Shane had exchanged on more a than few occasions while on the job as Sherriff's deputies. Just thinking about it made him feel ill. He pushed away the unpleasant thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

After reloading his clip and taking a deep breath, Rick crouched down and moved under the window. He took a quick look through the doorway, acquired his target, and fired.

* * *

Back at the prison, Lindsey was under orders from Hershel to rest her leg for a few hours between watch shifts. She decided to make the best of it and clean her gun. As she leaned her back against the wall behind her cot, she couldn't help but remember the first time someone had shown her how to clean a gun. About a month after leaving Atlanta, her small group had connected with a couple in the Macon area. The man, whose name was Andrew but insisted on 'Andy', was a retired police officer. He had treated her like a daughter and shortly before his death, had given her his Glock and his wealth of knowledge that accompanied it.

As she removed the magazine from her gun and ejected the round in the chamber, Carl appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Carl. What's up?"

He shrugged and looked down at the floor. "Not much. Is it okay if I come in?"

"Of course. Take a seat." She gestured to the empty space at the end of her mattress. He walked in and plopped down. Fine dust particles flew up into the air and floated in the single ray of light streaming through the prison block windows. He fidgeted and then sat in silence. Lindsey dry fired the gun at the ceiling, removed the slide and then glanced at Carl. "Something on your mind?"

He hesitated and then directed his question at her. "How did you and my dad get away from those men? Did you kill them?"

Lindsey continued to disassemble the gun as she answered quietly, "Yes, we did."

"How many did you kill?" He asked.

"Three."

Ignoring her obvious uneasy feelings toward the topic, he pressed on. "Are those the first people you've had to kill?"

She cleared her throat. "No." After setting down the pieces to her gun, she leaned forward and gave him her full attention. "Why are you asking me these questions?"

Now he appeared to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. "I killed someone. A boy a little older than me. It was before you got here." She waited for him to continue but he was looking at her expectantly. "Well, aren't you going to lecture me or ask me why?"

She shook her head. "Why would I do that? I'm sure you had a good reason."

Carl nodded adamantly. "I did."

"Okay, so I'll just ask you one question. Would you make the same choice if you could do it over?"

"I would," he answered, his voice confident.

"Then leave it at that. Don't question yourself. What's done is done," she stated.

"Does it get any easier? Knowing that you have to do it and following through?"

Lindsey looked at him sadly. "No. It never gets easier, and if it does then you are probably doing it for all the wrong reasons."

He seemed to be processing what she had told him. After sighing heavily, he stared at the cell wall. "He left again. He is always leaving."

"Are you worried about him?" She asked.

"No. He always comes back. I just don't know why he has to go every single time. They can handle it without him," he answered somewhat angrily.

Lindsey moved to sit on the edge of the cot next to him. "Your dad likes to help people. It's just part of his nature. If he hadn't found me in that pharmacy, I'd have bled out and turned into one of those shambling corpses. He's a good person to have around in a bad situation."

"Well, it would be nice to have him around to watch his children grow up. If not me, at least Judith. She'll never know her mother. He should stay for her," Carl argued.

Lindsey nodded sadly. He was absolutely right. She knew that Rick had gone this time because The Governor needed to be dealt with, but after that he should stay for good. Even though it wasn't her place, she decided she would talk to him when he got back.

"Are you and my dad together?" Carl asked suddenly.

She raised her eyebrows slightly as she glanced at him. "No...what made you ask that?"

"He looks at you funny sometimes. At first I thought he was just curious about you because you were new to our group, but I've noticed that he still looks at you differently than the other women."

Lindsey tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach from his statement and felt her cheeks turn pink. She rubbed her face uncomfortably, as if she could wipe away the color from her embarrassment.

"Maybe he _doesn't_ like me and that's why he looks at me funny," she countered.

"No...it's not that. I think he thinks you're pretty," Carl said so simply that it caught her off guard.

She spoke slowly, "Does that bother you? The thought of him being with someone else after your mom?"

He shrugged. "I guess not. I know he's sad, so I wouldn't mind if it made him happy."

She didn't know she had been holding her breath until she felt it quietly expel from her chest. Smiling, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him lightly. "You're a good guy, Carl. Try to stay that way."

* * *

Rick and Glenn were huddled under the now shattered window, which they considered an advantage except for when Glenn had lost his balance and got shards of glass in his hand. Rick had managed to kill two men initially and Glenn got one more. The last three were randomly firing off rounds into the concrete wall behind and above them, for whatever good that would do.

"Now what?" Glenn hissed.

"Just keep getting shots in when you can," Rick replied plainly.

Quickly, they stood and fired through the open window. The Governor's men were hiding in various places around the room, but none were visible. They got down again and waited. A couple more shots sent chunks of concrete flying from the wall across from them. They exchanged a glance and got ready to go again. Rick fired once and turned his head just slightly as he heard the click of Glenn's gun jamming.

Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation at his temple and then he was on his back. The ceiling wavered and went black for a second. His vision returned and he saw Glenn point his gun down the hallway away from the direction of the men. Quickly, he lowered it and gestured to Rick. Daryl and Tyreese appeared then. They each grabbed one of Rick's arms and hauled him to his feet. He was horrendously dizzy and the pain radiating from the left side of his head was excruciating. Tyreese continued to support him as he tried to find his balance. Daryl removed the bandana from his back pocket and after spinning it into one long strip, he wrapped it around Rick's head and tied it tightly. Rick gingerly touched below the burning spot on his head and his hand came away soaked with bright red blood. It was hard to say if he had actually been shot in the head, but he figured that since he was still breathing, it was most likely a graze. He watched Daryl take a shot at one of the men with his crossbow and then pull back to reload. Glenn was now using the assault rifle he had picked up outside. He fired three times and then lowered the weapon. He nodded at them and Rick took that as indication that their targets were eliminated.

The four of them moved swiftly down the hallway, Rick still being supported by Glenn and Tyreese. Daryl took point. He stopped abruptly and they almost ran into the back of him.

"What the hell, Daryl?" Glenn snapped.

Daryl didn't reply. He just pointed at something on the ground. They looked down and saw a dark red smudge on the concrete floor, along with dusty boot prints. Silently, he took the bolt cutter from Tyreese and popped off the padlock. As quietly as possible, he raised the shutter door. The dark room was flooded with light and they stood in disbelief when they saw what scene was waiting inside.

Michonne was slumped in the middle of the floor, her arms chained to either side of the room. Her pants and boots were missing. Every part of her body looked bloody and bruised. Daryl rushed forward and set down his crossbow. Kneeling in front of her, he softly tapped her cheeks with his hands.

"Come on, Mich. Open your eyes," he whispered.

She wheezed suddenly and then jerked back from his touch.

"Shh, it's Daryl. I'm not gonna hurt you. Hold still, I'mma get these chains off ya."

He pulled out the bolt cutters again and cut the chains, leaving the cuffs around her wrists. She fell against him and as he held her up, he pointed to a darkened corner of the room. "Glenn, get her clothes."

Glenn picked up the pile and hurried over. Daryl straightened out her pants and started to pull them up her legs but she slapped his hands away.

"I'll do it," she mumbled past her swollen lip.

Daryl blinked and stood up. "Suit yourself."

Michonne slowly finished getting dressed and ignored Glenn's offered hand as she stood up. She winced as she took the first couple steps, but regained her footing and took off down the hallway.

"Hey! The exit is the other way. Where are you going?" Glenn exclaimed.

"I'm not leaving without my baby," she fired back as she turned the corner and out of view.

Glenn looked around at the others, his face a look of exasperation. "What?!"

"Her sword, you idiot-" Daryl grumbled, but was interrupted by the sound of a distant door slamming shut. Immediately after, their two radios crackled to life.

"_The Governor is on the move. Left side exit._" Maggie reported.

"Shit! I'll make sure she gets out, you three, go!" Daryl shouted. He grabbed his radio and fired back, "If you can, take the shot! We've got Michonne."

They heard the sound of exchanged gunfire and then silence.

"Oh, God," Glenn whispered frantically, fearing the worst.

They burst through the side door and found Maggie standing over The Governor as he writhed on the ground. She kicked his gun away and patted him down. As they got closer, all three guys cringed when they saw that she had shot him in the groin. Maggie looked relieved to see them. Naturally, she stepped away to hug and kiss Glenn.

"I'm done here. He's all yours, boys," she declared. "Wow, Rick. What happened?"

"Got shot. Again," he mumbled with a weak smirk.

"You have got to work on that," she replied as she put his arm over her shoulder.

Tyreese approached The Governor, his face a reflection of intent. At that moment, Daryl and Michonne walked out, sword in tow. Tyreese watched The Governor roll onto his side and groan in pain.

"Rick, what's the plan? Do we need him for anything else?" Tyreese asked.

Rick moved his bottom lip in almost a small shrug. "Not that I can think of."

"Good," Tyreese replied, and with that he pulled out his pistol and shot The Governor between the eyes.

* * *

**Ding, dong, The Governor's dead! _Finally._**

**I'm sorry that it's been a while since I last updated! I made this chapter a little longer to make up for it. **

**Thank you for your reviews! I love hearing from all of you! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I forgot to mention before that the last few chapters were inspired by the song "Future" by Paramore. It's so hopeful and tragic at the same time, I found it to be a perfect motivator while writing. Also, Season 3 of TWD came with a new soundtrack and the first song, "Homage" felt right for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! ;-)**

* * *

Carol had gone inside the prison to get some dinner, so now Lindsey was sitting on the ledge of the guard tower with her assault rifle resting across her lap. While the hot, Georgia sun was starting to set, Lindsey was starting to get worried. She knew it would take some time for Rick and the others just to get to and from The Governor's 'camp', but she was having a hard time staying optimistic. Anytime that bastard was involved - good people died.

She was torn out of her depressing thoughts by the sound of giggling. She stood up and walked to the railing so that she could peer over the side. Carl and Beth were leaning against the base of the tower, talking. Carl said something that Lindsey couldn't quite hear and Beth stifled a snort. She was pretty sure it had to do with Judith though, because Carl was moving his hands wildly in what looked like a barfing motion and then tapped his shoulder.

Lindsey smiled to herself. It was so refreshing to hear the two of them laughing. She couldn't remember the last time she had _really_ laughed, like a full-on roar of laughter. She knew that it had to have been sometime during their trip to Atlanta. Back then, she laughed a lot. The miscarriage had definitely put a black cloud over their lives, but after six months they were beginning to feel happy again. They had even talked about trying to get pregnant again that fateful weekend.

Lindsey clenched her jaw and forced herself back to the present. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the rifle and willed away the tears.

"You have to stop this!" She mumbled through gritted teeth. Thinking about the past was pointless. Yes, she had good memories to look back on, but to know that everyone and everything from them was dead, did not fill her with warm nostalgia.

An image of Jared's handsome face forced it's way to the front of her mind and her heart ached. God, she missed him. If someone had told her a year ago that she would be thrown into the apocalypse without her husband and survive up to this point, she would have told them that they were bat-shit crazy.

Though, as she had explained it to Carl, she would be dead now if it wasn't for Rick. It was sad to admit but he was her reason for living now. He gave her hope and that meant everything in this grisly world. Even if their friendship didn't lead to something more, she would be forever grateful for her second chance at life with her new family.

All of a sudden, she could hear cars approaching. With her heart pounding, she lifted her rifle and used the scope to see further down the road.

"Carl! Beth! Heads up!" She yelled.

Initially, she could see nothing, and then finally she was able release the breath that she had been holding. Their little green Honda, and recently acquired Dodge Charger, raced into view and toward the prison entrance.

"It's them! Open the gates!" Lindsey called out as she hurried to the tower door, and down the winding stairs. By the time she got to the bottom, their cars had already come to a stop inside. She knew that Carl was excited to see his dad and Maggie for Beth, so she rushed to close the gate for them. She was just closing the padlock when she heard Carl.

"Woah, Dad! What happened?" He exclaimed.

Lindsey felt her stomach drop and turned to see what he was referring to. Daryl had come around the car and was helping Rick out. Rick's forehead was wrapped tightly with a bandana and below it there was a significant amount of blood covering his face and neck. She fought the urge to go to him. He patted Carl's back as his son wrapped his arms around his waist.

"He's okay. We think it's just a graze but we should get him inside to get checked out," Daryl stated, still supporting most of Rick's weight.

Lindsey's eyebrows were drawn together with apprehension, but her face relaxed when Rick met her gaze and smiled softly. He looked like he wanted to say something but Beth interrupted.

"Did you get Michonne?" She asked her sister, and then looked around at the others.

Maggie pointed to the backseat of the Charger. "The Governor roughed her up pretty good. Hershel will have to check her out as well - if she'll let him."

"Speaking of The Governor. Any luck?" Lindsey asked, hesitantly.

Rick nodded once and spoke in a rough voice: "He's dead."

Lindsey glanced at the backseat again and saw that Tyreese hadn't moved. Somehow she knew he had been the one to do it. Why else would he have gone?

"Alright, Rambo, let's get you inside," Daryl muttered to Rick.

Lindsey smirked and watched everyone get back into the cars. Once they were safely within the prison walls, she breathed a sigh of relief and made her way back to the top of the guard tower.

* * *

One week later, Rick was feeling significantly better. He would definitely have a scar on the side of his head, but he was fortunate that his hair would cover most of it. Michonne's injuries were healing, but he knew that the emotional wounds would take longer. She was even more quiet than usual - if that was possible. Everything was slowly returning to normal, or whatever could be considered normal during the end of the world. Now that The Governor was dead, they could all take the time that they needed to mourn and heal.

Today, Rick was helping Carol in the guard tower. He had been anxious to get back to his watch shift but Hershel didn't think he should do it alone just yet. Reluctantly, he took the right side, which included their 'community' garden. Under the hot sun, a small group of people were weeding and harvesting. He leaned against the wall and watched as Maggie said something to Lindsey. Lindsey grinned and he felt his chest tighten. Her silky hair was pulled back into a messy bun with a few loose strands sticking to her damp forehead. She stood to dump her weed bucket in their compost pile. Afterward, she attempted to push one of the stray hairs out of her face and ended up smudging dirt onto her cheek. He actually thought it was kind of cute.

"What are you doing, Rick?" Carol asked suddenly.

He pushed away from the wall and tried to look nonchalant. "I'm on watch-"

She shook her head and smiled. "That's not what I meant."

"I don't..." Rick mumbled, shaking his head.

"Lindsey," Carol began. Rick feigned ignorance and she sighed. "I know you like her. I'm assuming by now you know that she likes you, too. It's okay, Rick."

"Is it?" He questioned, doubtfully.

Carol leaned against the wall next to him and cradled her rifle. "I understand that it hasn't been very long since Lori died. You're still grieving, and that's perfectly acceptable. I can't say exactly how much time as passed since it happened, but in this new world, it's been practically a lifetime. You have to remember - Lindsey lost her spouse, too. We've all lost people," Carol said, quietly.

Rick put his arm around Carol in a simple act of comfort. "That's true, but she's had more time than I have," he responded.

"Does it really matter? Do you think you'd feel any better about losing you wife if we were talking about this a year from now?" Rick tipped his head and raised his eyebrows in acceptance of what she was saying. "In the old world, we were expected to wait a long time before moving on after losing a spouse. We don't have that much time anymore. If there is something you need to say or do now, don't hesitate, because you may not get another chance."

Rick absorbed what she was saying and then shook his head. "I can't. I made a promise to myself, that my kids are my priority and no one will change that. I can't have any distractions. If something happened and I had to choose...I can't be responsible."

"She's not asking you to choose, Rick. If there was a situation where you had to save her or your kids, she would _expect_ you to pick them," Carol stated. She let her words sink in and then spoke again: "Ultimately, what you do is your choice. I just see an opportunity for happiness and I don't want you to wait until it's too late."

Rick didn't reply for a minute. He was processing everything she had just said to him. She almost had him convinced. A part of him still didn't feel right about being with another woman so soon, but Carol had made a good point. Whether it was tomorrow, or a year from now, that part of him wasn't going to change. He also had to remember that Lindsey was a widow and probably felt the same way about starting a new relationship.

"Carol...you and her share a cell together, right?" He asked, hesitantly.

She grinned, knowingly. "I'll take watch with Daryl tonight. You owe me," she threw over her shoulder as she walked away.

* * *

After dinner, Rick made his way to the pantry, which included a wide selection of toiletry items. It was a collection of all the stuff that they had scavenged over the past few months, and was okay for anyone to take. (Hershel kept all the prescriptions and pain relievers in a lock box.)

He made sure no one was around before he found the shelf containing various boxes of condoms. It was mainly considered Glenn and Maggie's stash, but everyone was encouraged to take them, if needed. They all knew enough about Rick's situation to recognize that they didn't want a baby of their own right now.

He quickly took two out of an already open box, and shoved them into his pocket. He felt like such a creep - he could only hope that he had read Lindsey right. Obviously, if she said no, he wouldn't force her into it. He just didn't know if he couldn't handle the rejection right now.

* * *

A minor storm had moved in after everyone had gone to bed. Rick laid on the his cot and watched as the room momentarily lit up as if it were filled with an explosion of daylight. It was eventually followed by a low rumble that lasted quite a while. He waited until it was completely quiet and listened for any movement from Carl. The only thing he could hear was his son's slow, rhythmic breathing. Since Carl was sleeping and Beth was taking care of Judith tonight, he knew it was time.

It felt like his heart was going to beat of his chest as he walked to the end of the line of cells. He quickly took a deep breath and then after hesitating momentarily, knocked softly on the concrete wall just inside Lindsey's cell. He watched as she stirred under the thin blanket and then sat up, bringing the blanket with her.

"Rick? Did something happen?" She whispered, nervously.

He shook his head and walked toward her cot. After kneeling in front of her, he gently took one of her hands and brought it to his lips. He heard her release the tiniest gasp and watched as her chest rose and fell with her quickened breathing.

He reached for her then. Their mouths collided as his fingers brushed through her hair and found it to still be up in a bun. Hastily, he tugged the elastic from her hair and gathered the flowing strands into his hands. Lindsey wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged on his shirt as she pulled him onto the cot. He helped her remove his shirt and paused to look into her eyes as she rested her palms on his chest. Clearly, she could feel his thundering heartbeat; she smiled. As he moved in to kiss her again, she stopped him.

_Shit, here comes the rejection,_ Rick thought to himself. She slid out from underneath him and tiptoed to the front of the cell. Carefully, she pulled the privacy sheet across the doorway and pinned it closed. She turned back to face him and he felt his mouth go dry as he watched her pull her thin tank top over her head. Timidly, she followed it with her black, cotton shorts. Left in just her underwear, she approached Rick and this time she knelt in front of him. She pulled off his boots and socks and pushed his hands away when he reached for his belt. Lindsey looked up at him as she undid the buckle. He was entranced by her dark, sparkling eyes and immediately felt a surge of heat in the bottom of his stomach. He shifted his weight as she tugged off his pants.

Finally, she allowed him to pull her into his arms. When their bare skin touched, he felt like he'd come home. Everywhere he touched on her lithe body was heavenly soft. They kissed passionately and he carried her with him as he rolled on top to settle his hips between her parted thighs. Chills ran down his spine as she lightly raked her fingernails across his back. He continued to cradle her head with one hand while his other hand moved down her smooth stomach, and ultimately ended up slipping under the waistband of her panties. His fingers stroked her gently. He didn't think he could be anymore turned on when he found her to be wet and ready for him. She gasped into his mouth as he slipped a finger into her. God, he wanted to bury himself in her.

Reluctantly, Rick let go of her and reached for his discarded pants. He ripped out one of the condoms, pulled down his boxer briefs and quickly slid it on. Lindsey removed her underwear and tossed it to the side. Rick replaced himself between her legs and they gazed at each other before he continued. Lindsey touched his lips with her fingertips and smiled nervously.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rick asked, because she appeared to be hesitating.

She nodded. "It's just been a while."

"I promise I'll be gentle," he whispered as he kissed her fingertips.

Slowly, he slid into her. She inhaled sharply and it took everything he had to not lose it. Clearly it had been a while for her, because she was impossibly tight and hot around him. He groaned into her neck and gave her a moment to adjust to him. After a moment, she started moving her hips to take him deeper. He met her thrusts and his arms shook slightly as he fought to keep an unhurried rhythm. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. She was so intoxicating, it was causing his control to slip.

Her lips touched his ear and murmured softly: "It's okay, Rick. You won't hurt me."

He used that as his cue and took her the way he wanted to. He plunged into her and drove deeply. She moaned softly and he could tell she was trying to stay quiet.

"You're coming with me. Let go, Linds," he whispered, harshly.

She opened her mouth to voice her release and his mouth crashed down onto hers, absorbing her loud cries. He buffeted her until she stopped writhing and then took his fill. He came hard, gasping inaudibly into the crook of her neck.

After a minute, Rick lifted his head and tenderly kissed her on the lips. He stroked her cheek and was surprised to find that it was wet.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked, alarmed.

She shook her head and smiled at him lovingly. "It was perfect."

He breathed a sigh of relief and rolled onto his side, pulling her with him. She rested her head on his chest and for the first time in years, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	14. Chapter 14

Rick woke with a start. The rolling sound of thunder faded from his ears. It was a lot louder than earlier so he guessed that the storm must have taken a turn toward the prison. He felt a delicate hand lazily playing with the fine dusting of hair on his chest. He turned his head to see Lindsey's hooded eyes gazing back at him. Smiling, he leaned over and gently kissed her soft lips. His fingers languidly stroked her bare side. She sighed into his mouth with a low, satisfied moan.

Another rumble of thunder broke them apart. Lindsey smirked and gestured to his pants, which were still laying partially inside out on the concrete floor.

"You came prepared. How many did you bring?" She asked in reference to the condoms tucked away in his pocket.

"Two," he whispered against her mouth.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" She replied as she pushed him onto his back, and quickly straddled him.

Rick didn't think the second time could possibly be better than the first, but she proved him wrong. For once in his life, he didn't want to be right.

* * *

They laid together, completely sated from their lovemaking. After a few minutes of silence, aside from the thunder and their breathing, Lindsey rolled over and pressed her lips to Rick's forehead. She didn't care that he was sweaty and tasted like salt. In fact, it actually turned her on.

_Control yourself_, she thought laughingly. They didn't have anymore condoms left so she needed to make an effort to put her clothes back on - not the other way around.

She heard Rick sigh and he moved to sit up. Slowly, he pulled on his pants, socks and boots. Ignoring the rational voice in her head, she admired the toned muscles covering his back and reached out to touch the smooth skin. He sat up straighter and looked over at her as she rested her hands on his shoulders. He touched his cheek to her hand and then kissed it. Reluctantly, she let go of him so he could finish getting dressed, and decided she should probably do the same.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash which was immediately followed by a deafening crack outside.

"That hit something," Lindsey murmured.

"Sure sounded like it. I hope Carol and Daryl are alright," Rick replied as he finished buttoning his shirt.

A moment later, they heard the cell block door open with a shrill creak. Rick pulled back the sheet covering her doorway and stepped out to come face-to-face with Carol.

"Hey Rick. I'm sorry to impose," she started to say as Lindsey moved to stand next to him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked cautiously.

Carol's clothes were soaked from the rain and her boots made a loud squelching noise when she shifted her feet. "We may have a situation."

Lindsey felt the little hairs on the back of her neck stand up with Carol's ominous statement. "Is there anything I can do?"

Carol nodded. "Get as many able-bodied people that you can and meet us at the fences on the east side."

Lindsey accepted her task and watched Rick follow Carol out of the cell block.

_So much for an afterglow_.

* * *

"The storm seems to be riling them up," Carol yelled over the driving rain. "That last bolt hit somewhere on the property. More and more are showin' up."

Rick peered down the line of fence she had brought him to. The whole structure bowed from the weight of at least four dozen walkers. They weren't spread out either. The majority of them congregated in one spot.

There was another crack of lightning and the group of walkers surged forward. Rick, Carol and Daryl stumbled back as the fence strained to stay upright.

"Cavalry's here," Daryl announced with a nod.

They turned to see Lindsey, Maggie, Glenn, Carl, Tyreese and Michonne, plus a couple older men from the Woodbury group, approach them.

Rick laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Carl, you need to go back inside-"

"No, I can help!" He argued.

Rick clenched his jaw and sighed. "Did they ask you to come out here, or did you volunteer yourself?"

"I know how to take out walkers, Dad. You _need_ me," Carl pleaded.

He wanted to put his foot down and make his son go back inside where it was safe - or safer. Unfortunately, the situation required immediate attention and they didn't have time to waste on bickering. To be completely honest, they could use the extra help. Rick nodded reluctantly and handed Carl a sharpened pipe to use.

They started by trying to spread the walkers out. It was difficult to use their voices to attract the group because the storm was so loud. Not the mention the walkers themselves. Their fierce growls had chorused together to just short of a dull roar. The rambunctious group still would not completely spread out, but one-by-one, they were taken down with a jab to the brain.

That's when the next problem arose.

Bodies were piling up against the fence, and as new walkers heaved forward to fill the gap, they began to ascend the fence. The prison group was too distracted by the turbulent weather to see one determined male walker force his way up the fence, collapsing the top section right onto Maggie and Lindsey. They must have seen it at the last second, because they put their arms up and pushed against the metal material before they could be crushed.

Rick and Glenn saw this happen out of their peripheral vision and moved quickly to help them. The walker that had collapsed the fence was now trying to make his way over the top, and others were following. Glenn ran under to help support the weight of upcoming walkers so Maggie and Lindsey wouldn't be crushed.

Rick desperately wanted to get them out from under the fence, but to do so would form a 'bridge' to allow walkers inside. He rushed forward to take out those that were about to come over the top. Deciding that noise didn't matter at this point, he pulled out his trusty Colt and fired into the oncoming wave. He had dropped maybe five before he realized that there were too many for him.

"Hey! We could use some help over here!" Rick yelled to the others.

Carl and Tyreese backed him up with their handguns. He swiftly realized that the fallen walkers were weighing down the fence even further. There was a break in the onslaught so Rick signaled to Tyreese to help him push up against the top section of fence. Slowly, it began to bend back to it's original position. Glenn, Maggie and Lindsey cried out from the strain. Other members of the group saw what was happening and came over to help.

Right as it started to straighten out, Rick heard a sharp intake of breath next to him. He watched Lindsey stumble back, a string of curses ripping from her throat.

"What happened?" Maggie asked worriedly.

Lindsey was holding one hand in the other, with both pressed to her chest. Rick stepped closer and realized that he could hear mumbling under her rapid breaths.

"No, no, no...," she whispered repeatedly.

Rick's heart dropped into his stomach. Numbly, he got down onto his knees next to her and gently tugged on her wrist. Finally, she let him see her hand. There was a large tear on one of the fingers of her glove and blood covered her hand.

"Did you...?" Rick asked breathlessly.

Slowly, Lindsey met his desperate gaze, her eyes brimming with tears. The devastated look on her face said everything.

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter this time. Was she bit?! What should they do? Let me know what you think!**

**Also, I realized that last chapter I called their car a Honda and not Hyundai. Little mistake, but it still bugged me! ;-)**


	15. Chapter 15

Lindsey looked up at Rick, her hair plastered to her face from the rain. She wasn't sure where her tears ended and the raindrops began. The storm seemed to be past them now, but the heavens wouldn't let up. All she knew was that she was cold, wet - and utterly hopeless.

She couldn't believe she had been so careless. The gloves she wore were mostly for grip. She had never thought a walker would be able to bite through them, especially when just her fingertips were on the other side of the fence. Above everything else, she was upset with herself for what this would do to Rick. He was kneeling next to her, staring at the gash in her glove. He wasn't saying anything but his face said enough. It was as if he was trying to accept what was happening and there was no where for him to put it. Lindsey always thought of it as a dark closet in the back of your brain. You put all the horrible shit in there and lock the door. She imagined that his 'closet' was getting full. Sooner or later, that door would open and she didn't want to think about what it would do to him.

"Rick-" Maggie said loudly.

Lindsey didn't even hear her approach them. Her head was spinning with anguish and self-loathing. Maggie had her arm outstretched and in her hand was a hatchet.

_Hershel_.

That thought hadn't even crossed her mind. She could still live - but she would lose her hand. _Oh, God_. She didn't want to lose her hand! Though, if it meant she could stay with Rick and the rest of her family, she would do it.

"Rick, were wastin' time!" Maggie shouted.

Lindsey could've sworn that his face blanched at the sight of the hatchet. He looked pained as Maggie handed it to him.

"Do it," Lindsey said finally. Her voice sounded confident, but inside she was absolutely terrified.

Maggie ripped off her belt and quickly knelt next to Lindsey. She threaded the leathery material around Lindsey's forearm and pulled it tight. Then she wrapped her other arm around Lindsey's chest to hold her still.

_Holy shit. This is really happening._ Lindsey could feel her body start to shake. Her breaths came quicker and her head felt light. There was a peculiar sensation rushing through her veins and her face began to tingle.

"I'm _so _sorry," Rick whispered as he lifted the hatchet into the air.

Lindsey withdrew into Maggie's embrace and turned her head away at the last second.

"WAIT!" Daryl shouted.

Lindsey let out a small cry as she unclenched her jaw. She blinked through the rain to see Daryl standing next to the fence in the same spot she had been only minutes before.

"For fuck's sake people! Do you investigate nothin'?" He ground out. Lindsey thought that he sounded irritated but she definitely sensed underlying relief.

Rick swiftly stood up and walked over to Daryl. Daryl pointed to a spot on the fence and Rick doubled over, his hands on his knees. He brought one hand up to his face and covered his eyes, then his mouth. Finally, he looked up at Lindsey. She was beyond confused at this point. Though he still appeared distressed, she knew everything would be all right when he flashed his devastatingly handsome smile. Maggie helped Lindsey up and it took her a moment to get her footing. She moved toward the fence. With an overwhelming wave of relief, she saw the ripped piece of her glove hanging off a sharp point on the fence. It was at head level so she could see why she had mistaken it as a bite.

Lindsey turned to Daryl. She had her uninjured hand in a fist pressed against her lips. She pulled her hand away and gestured to him as she tried to form the right words. "I could kiss you right now, you beautiful redneck."

Everyone chuckled at her outrageous statement, except for Daryl - he just looked uncomfortable.

Lindsey rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Sorry. You know what I mean. I'm gonna hug you though."

Daryl outstretched an arm. "Bring it in, then."

They embraced briefly and Lindsey turned to Rick. Thankfully, he didn't seem put out by her statement to Daryl. At this point, he probably didn't care what she did, so long as he didn't have to hack off her hand.

Before they could do anything, Carol interrupted. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up."

There was so much Lindsey wanted to say to Rick, but this wasn't the time or place. She smiled and spoke softly, "We'll talk later?"

He nodded and, somewhat impulsively, reached out to cup the back of her neck and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

As the sun began to rise, Rick watched Lindsey hike up the pathway with Carol. He had to fight every inclination in his body to follow her. Obviously, she would be okay, but he had almost cut off her hand! If he'd gone through with it and _then _Daryl made the discovery - he'd have lost his mind, again. Hershel had been lucky. They all knew that. If she'd died from the amputation- he couldn't even think about that. She was alive and in one piece. He couldn't be more thankful.

He turned around and discovered that Carl was watching him. It took him a couple seconds to realize what he had done. While the simple kiss may have appeared just that way to the rest of the group, Carl wouldn't see it that way. Rick had never thought to have the 'women after your mom' conversation. To be honest, he didn't think he would ever need to. Lindsey had completely blindsided him.

Suddenly, Rick thought of another thing. What if Carl didn't like Lindsey? Would that stop him?Not sure what to say or do, he slowly walked over to Carl. His son's perceptive blue eyes, a trait that they shared, bored into his own.

Finally, Carl broke the silence: "I'm glad she's all right..."

Rick cleared his throat. "Me too, Buddy."

"I'm not a little kid, ya know," Carl said suddenly. Rick raised his eyebrows in amusement and waited for his son to explain why. "I know you like her. I talked to her last week and told her so. I think she likes you, too. Her face got really red." Carl laughed.

Rick smiled uncomfortably. _Where is this conversation going?_ "If all that were true, how would you feel about us being together?" His pulse quickened as he awaited a response.

"Like I said, I'm not a little kid. I know you're unhappy. If you need a lady friend, it's okay with me," Carl said plainly.

Rick wondered when his son had become so blunt. He actually found it to be refreshing. Especially in the instance of this discussion. He had imagined it to go over differently - and not well.

"There is one thing I have to say, though," Carl added.

"I'm all ears," Rick replied.

"There is no way in hell that she, whether it's Lindsey or some other woman, will replace Mom."

Rick leveled his head with Carl's and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You have my word. No one could ever replace your mother."

Evidently, Carl could see the truth in his gaze because he nodded.

"Rick? Could you give us a hand?" Glenn asked from a little ways down the fence.

"Sure," he responded, and looked back at Carl.

Carl smirked. "'Give us a hand'? Get it?"

Rick bit the inside of his cheek and tried to put on his best fatherly glare. "Too soon, Buddy."

Carl rolled his eyes and shrugged.

* * *

Inside the prison, Lindsey sat in the empty cafeteria as Carol stitched up her finger. All they had to numb the cut was some kind of gel anesthesia, which honestly didn't do much. Lindsey just focused on one spot on the floor and took deep calming breaths.

"So other than being crushed by a fence and almost getting your hand chopped off, how was your evening?" Carol asked suggestively.

The unexpected question was enough to briefly distract Lindsey from her pain. She attempted to hide the pink that crept onto her cheeks.

"It was fine," Lindsey answered softly. She felt a sudden jab from the needle and flinched.

"Sorry," Carol said innocently.

Lindsey sighed. "I had a lovely evening. Rick is a very sweet man. Happy now?" Carol grinned with satisfaction.

"So it was _you_?" Maggie whispered from the doorway. She rushed over to the table and sat down across from Lindsey. "Glenn and I noticed some _items _were missin' from the pantry."

"I didn't take them," Lindsey stated without going into detail.

"But Rick did." Maggie sat grinning expectantly. It was like some kind of mind game to make Lindsey spill everything.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lindsey replied. She could play this game.

"_Lindsey and Rick sittin' in a tree..._" Maggie sang softly. Carol stifled a giggle.

"What are we, eight?" Lindsey laughed.

"Oh, come on! Be girly with me for like two seconds. Tell me _something_," Maggie pleaded.

Lindsey smiled. She had had girl friends before the end of the world and most of their conversations did revolve around men and sex. It had been practically a lifetime ago that those topics were even relevant, so it felt strange to discuss them now.

She lowered her voice, even though they were the only people in the room. No one else needed to hear this. She proceeded to tell them about her night, sparing select information. Some things she wanted to keep for herself. When she was done, Carol was just securing the bandage around her finger.

Maggie fanned herself lightly. "So does this mean you're together now?"

Lindsey opened her mouth to answer and realized that she didn't have one. They probably would have talked about it afterward, but the storm and Carol had cut things short. Obviously, she wanted to be with him - and Maggie wanted an answer.

"That part of the story is 'To Be Continued'," Lindsey murmured with a shrug.

* * *

**A/N: I didn't want to leave you waiting too long! Since the beginning of the chapter was so intense, I wanted to second half to be lighter. I hope you don't find their humor to be distasteful! Well...it kind of is, but that's how a lot of young women talk, haha!**

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! They make me sooo happy! :)**


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